From the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
This document is provided as a service by UNAMI. The material is drawn from non-UN sources
and does not reflect the opinions of the United Nations, nor can the UN vouch for its accuracy
Wednesday, 01 Dec 2004
IRAQI NEWS FOR 30 NOV 2004
Gunmen kill head of security at health minister's office- Radio Dijla
PUK HQ in Mosul attacked with mortars- Radio Dijla
Defence Ministry denies Basra commander's insubordination- Al-Sharqiyah TV
Oil supply pipeline blown up south of Baghdad- Al-Sharqiyah
US vehicle destroyed in car blast on Baghdad airport road- Al-Sharqiyah
Al-Mahdi Army sets new rules for members- Ansar al-Mahdi
"More than" 40 drown in Al-Khabur River after ferry capsizes- Al-Sharqiyah
Al-Chalabi criticizes neighbouring states, advocates scrapping Iraq debt- Al-
Bayyinah
National Assembly official interviewed on recent arrest- Dar al-Salam Radio
Iraq denies PM Allawi to meet opposition in Amman- Al-Sharqiyah
ELECTIONS
Shi'i radio urges Iraqi national unity through elections- Voice of the Mujahidin
Deputy Speaker says Iraq MPs oppose election delay- Voice of the Mujahidin
Iraqi Islamic Party to take part in elections if situation stable- Dar al-Salam Radio
IRAQ PRESS HEADLINES AND QUOTES, 30 NOV 2004
Headlines of Al-Mada [Baghdad, daily newspaper published by Al-Mada Corp. for
Media, Culture and Art]:
Allawi's projected reconciliation negotiations with Iraqi opposition groups in
Amman- Al-Dustur
``Did our people do to deserve what has befallen them?''- Al-Zaman
``The Bush administration is necessary to put pressure on Israel.''- Al-Sharq al-
Awsat
How Iraq achieved a profound victory in the Sharm al-Shaykh Conference?- Al-
Dustur
IRAQI BROADCAST MEDIA SUMMARIES, 30 NOV 04
Programme summary of Iraqi Al-Iraqiyah TV news news 30 Nov 04:
Programme summary of Iraqi SCIRI's Voice of Mujahidin news 30 Nov 04:
Programme summary of Iraqi SCIRI's Dar al-Salam Radio news 30 Nov 04:
Programme summary of Iraqi Al-Diyar TV news news 30 Nov 04:
KURDISH NEWS, 30 NOV 2004
Barzani Meets UN Envoy Qazi- Kurdistani Nwe
Talabani, UK envoys discuss elections- KurdSat TV
UPDATES FROM IRAQI KURDISH PRESS 30 NOV 2004
www.peyamner.com 30 November 2004
IRAQI NEWS FOR 30 Nov 2004
Gunmen kill head of security at health minister's office- Radio Dijla
Radio Dijla - Iraq's first independent talk radio station, Radio Dijla
(Tigris Radio)30 Nov 04 : The head of security at the Health Minister's
office, Brig-Gen Abd Ali Ja'far, was assassinated in front of his house in the
Al-Durah area of southern Baghdad as he was leaving for work on 29
November.
PUK HQ in Mosul attacked with mortars- Radio Dijla
Radio Dijla - Iraq's first independent talk radio station, Radio Dijla
(Tigris Radio)30 Nov 04 : The headquarters of the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan (PUK) in Mosul came under mortar attack on 30 November, Radio
Dijla reported. The party gave no details of the casualties or damages caused
by the attack.
Defence Ministry denies Basra commander's insubordination- Al-Sharqiyah
TV
Al-Sharqiyah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic, 30 Nov 04: The
Defence Ministry has denied reports that the commander of the National
Guard Brigade in Basra has refused to execute the orders of the ministry, Al-
Sharqiyah TV reported on 30 November.
Seven civilians killed, 20 wounded in blast hitting US convoy- Al-Sharqiyah
Al-Sharqiyah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic, 30 Nov 04: Four
people were killed and 15 wounded when a booby-trapped car exploded in a
US patrol in the centre of Bayji, 200 km north of Baghdad, Qatari Al-Jazeera
satellite TV reported on 30 November. The explosion caused extensive
damage to a US tank, which was with the patrol. The wounded Iraqis were
taken to hospital. The US Army announced that two of its soldiers were
wounded in the operation and that a third soldier was wounded when a
grenade was thrown at a US tank in the same area. (Al-Jazeera TV,)A later
report from Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV said seven people were killed in the Bayji
blast and 20 wounded.
Oil supply pipeline blown up south of Baghdad- Al-Sharqiyah
Al-Sharqiyah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic, 30 Nov 04: An oil
pipeline supplying the Al-Musayyib Power Plant with oil, south of Baghdad,
was blown up on 30 November, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported. Mu'ayyad al-
Shammari, official in charge of the power plant oil supply, said that
unidentified persons blew up the supply pipeline running from Karbala, 3 km
from Al-Musayyib, after which a fire broke out. The TV said Al-Shammari was
unable to assess the repercussions of the sabotage operation on the
production of the power plant, which it said was considered one of the
biggest power plants in Iraq.
US vehicle destroyed in car blast on Baghdad airport road- Al-Sharqiyah
Al-Sharqiyah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic, 30 Nov 04: A
booby-trapped car exploded on Baghdad International Airport road on 30
November and led to the destruction of a US military vehicle, Iraqi Al-
Sharqiyah TV reported. An Iraqi Police source was quoted as saying that a
white Opel blew up when a US military patrol was travelling on the road.
Al-Mahdi Army sets new rules for members- Ansar al-Mahdi
(Ansar al-Mahdi, Baghdad, in Arabic 29 Nov 04): A statement by the Al-
Mahdi Army High Command, published in Iraqi pro-Muqtada al-Sadr
newspaper Ansar al-Mahdi on 25 November, affirmed that everyone in the
army should serve to the best of their ability and not "sail under false
colours". The statement said army members should: observe unquestioning
obedience to the leadership; act with the leadership's permission; punish
those who disobey; raise awareness of other members of ethics, philosophy
and jurisprudence; obtain feedback from mosques; and establish follow-up
committees attached to the shari'ah court, to punish any violation attributed
to the Al-Mahdi Army.
"More than" 40 drown in Al-Khabur River after ferry capsizes- Al-Sharqiyah
Al-Sharqiyah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic, 30 Nov 04: More
than 40 Iraqis drowned on 30 November when their ferry capsized in the
River Habor (which rises in the central highlands of Kurdistan, and flows
southwest till it falls into the Tigris, about 70 miles above Mosul) in Dahuk
Governorate, north of Iraq, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported. It quoted one of
the survivors as saying that the accident took place because the ferry, which
operates between the two banks of the river, namely, Zakho and the Syrian
border checkpoint of Al-Rabiyah, was overloaded with passengers. Most of
the casualties were reported to be Kurds residing abroad who were held for
several weeks at the Syrian borders due to the Iraqi government's decision
to close the border checkpoints on the eve of the onset of the military
operations in Al-Fallujah on 8 November.
Al-Chalabi criticizes neighbouring states, advocates scrapping Iraq debt-
Al-Bayyinah
Al-Bayyinah, a weekly paper issued by the Hezbollah movement in
Iraq Baghdad, in Arabic 29 Nov 04: Leader of the Iraqi National
Congress, Ahmad al-Chalabi, argued for the cancelling of the Iraqi debt, in an
interview with Iraqi Hezbollah Movement in Iraq newspaper Al-Bayyinah
published on 27 November. In the interview, which took place "in the month
of Ramadan [15 October-13 November 2004]", Al-Chalabi argued that it was
unreasonable to expect Iraqis to pay for the misdeeds of the former
president, Saddam Husayn. He also had strong words for neighbouring Arab
countries who he said were supporting terrorism. He said that he had
documents to prove they had stolen assets from Iraq and warned that the
international situation was not in their favour. On elections, Al-Chalabi said
they were the only solution for ending Iraq's predicament and were "a
resounding slap in the face of the Bedouins [Arab Gulf states]" because their
own people would also ask them for democracy sooner or later.
National Assembly official interviewed on recent arrest- Dar al-Salam Radio
Dar al-Salam Radio, Baghdad, in Arabic 29 Nov 04:: The deputy
Speaker of the interim Iraqi National Assembly, Nasir Ayif, told Iraqi radio on
29 November about his recent arrest by US soldiers and the manner in which
his house was raided and searched for bomb-manufacturing equipment. Ayif
told the radio that nothing incriminating was found but that he was held in
detention by the US forces. Ayif said the incident was unacceptable and he
said that if "the occupiers" remained in Iraq, the National Assembly's powers
would be useless.
Iraq denies PM Allawi to meet opposition in Amman- Al-Sharqiyah
Al-Sharqiyah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic, 30 Nov 04: The
Iraqi Council of Ministers has denied that Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi will
meet Iraqi opposition groups in Amman, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported on
30 November.
ELECTIONS
Shi'i radio urges Iraqi national unity through elections- Voice of the
Mujahidin
SCIRI's Voice of the Mujahidin in Arabic,Iran, 30 Nov 04 : Iraqi Shi'i
group's Iran-based radio station Voice of the Mujahidin called on 30
November for all Iraqi groups to find a common platform and to unite. In a
political commentary broadcast on the station, the radio said the elections
presented the opportunity for all broad-based groups to unite in election lists
to find a formula for national accord.
Deputy Speaker says Iraq MPs oppose election delay- Voice of the
Mujahidin
SCIRI's Voice of the Mujahidin in Arabic,Iran, 30 Nov 04 : Jawad al-
Maliki, deputy Speaker of the interim National Assembly, has affirmed the
assembly's objection to the request made by some parties to postpone the
elections, Iraqi Shi'i group's Iran-based radio station Voice of the Mujahidin
reported on 29 November. He said postponement would create a legislative
vacuum and deprive the next government of legal cover. The radio also
reported that Barham Salih, deputy prime minister of the interim
government, said the postponement of the elections would harm the political
process and strengthen the motivations for terrorism in the country.
Iraqi Islamic Party to take part in elections if situation stable- Dar al-Salam
Radio
Dar al-Salam Radio, Baghdad, in Arabic 29 Nov 04: The leader of the
Iraqi Islamic Party, Muhsin Abd-al-Hamid, said in a newspaper interview
published on 27 November that his party supported the holding of elections
but that they should be postponed for six months because of the
unsatisfactory security situation in the country. Abd-al-Hamid said that his
party might withdraw from the election if the "right situation" was not
achieved in time. He added that free and fair elections would lead to the
creation of an elected council which could bring an end to the presence of the
"occupation".
Al-Sadr office says ration cards being forged for elections- Al-Diyar
Al-Diyar Satellite Channel In Arabic, Baghdad, 30 Nov 04: The Al-Sadr
Office in Basra has said ration cards are being forged on a large scale in
areas where relative political stability prevails, Iraqi Al-Diyar TV reported on
30 November. In a statement, the office said it believed that this forgery of
ration cards is aimed at influencing the results of the upcoming elections. It
called on the Independent Electoral Commission to take action.
IRAQ PRESS Headlines and Quotes, 30 Nov 2004
Headlines of Al-Mada [Baghdad, daily newspaper published by Al-Mada
Corp. for Media, Culture and Art]:
Bounty offered to citizens who report car bombs
Interior Ministers of neighbouring states meet in Tehran today Iraqi
Interior Ministry: We want neighbouring states to help create
conditions conducive to elections /
Second attempt at Zebari's life;
Allawi in Jordan to negotiate with Al-Ramadi dignitaries
Two suicide attacks leave 16 policemen, National Guardsmen dead;
Shoot out between US force and Iraqi police in Kirkuk [Agencies-
Quoted]
Ministry of Communications takes punitive measures against Orascom
[Agencies- Quoted.]
Baghdad [Baghdad, political daily newspaper published by the Iraqi
National Accord Movement]:
Allawi gets message from Pope High Electoral Commission reopens
door for candidate registration
Scores of terrorists killed, apprehended in Al-Yusufiyah [Agencies-
Quoted]
Iranian deputy interior minister: Suicide operations by Iranian
volunteers illegal [AFP- Quoted]
Oil Minister invites Japanese firms to participate in developing Iraqi oil
facilities [Agencies- Quoted.]
What did our people do to deserve what has befallen them?
Allawi's projected reconciliation negotiations with Iraqi opposition groups
in Amman- Al-Dustur
Al - Dustur, Baghdad, independent daily publishes an editorial by
Chief Editor Basim al-Shaykh discussing Prime Minister Allawi's projected
reconciliation negotiations with a number of Iraqi opposition groups in
Amman. The editorial says that while the government denied the
participation of Ba'thists, who did not commit crimes against the Iraqi
people, in Amman's negotiations, Foreign Minister Zebari affirmed their
participation. Al-Shaykh says that former Ba'thists can be classified into
three groups: the first rejects the occupation and has begun to reorganize
itself, the second preferred to choose voluntary asylum in neighbouring
countries and forms the main opposition group abroad, and the third chose
to stay home in peace. The editorial urges the government to transparently
act in this regard and to open channels with all Iraqis in order to end the
chaos in the country.
``Did our people do to deserve what has befallen them?''- Al-Zaman
Al-Zaman [daily, independent, Baghdad edition of London-based Al-
Zaman]: [From commentary by Muthanna al-Tabaqchali]30 Nov
2004: "We would like to ask our interim rulers what did our people do to
deserve what has befallen them. Would it not have been better for everyone
to have had the alien intruders eliminated from our ranks and, in so doing, to
have saved our cities the horrors of annihilation? As we see it, the question
now is not whether we can provide enough by way of compensation for
damages incurred, donations for those made destitute, bandages for the
wounded or ambulances to ferry the lucky few who managed to survive. The
question is whether those who have lived through the ordeal or lost their
loved ones in the massacre will ever forget. Blood cannot be bought for cash
and our people, famed for untold patience, will keep looking forward to the
moment when their custodians are made to pay for failing to live up to their
responsibilities."
``The Bush administration is necessary to put pressure on Israel.''- Al-
Sharq al-Awsat
Al-Sharq al-Awsat [Baghdad edition of London-based daily Al-Sharq
al-Awsat] [From commentary by Ghassan al-Imam]30 Nov 2004:
"The Bush administration shows it is responsive to the European demand that
it is necessary to put pressure on Israel. Europe shares Bush's bid not only to
overstep, but also to threaten the security and stability of Syria, a key player
which is impossible to overlook in any settlement in the region. More
dangerously, Europe is secretly trying to strike a deal according to which it is
to support Bush in Iraq in return for putting pressure on Sharon, on the
assumption that giving priority to a settlement in the West Bank and Gaza
would avert a wider confrontation in the area."'
How Iraq achieved a profound victory in the Sharm al-Shaykh Conference?-
Al-Dustur
Al - Dustur, Bagdad, independent daily publishes an article by
Hamzah al-Jawhari 30 Nov 04: discussing how Iraq achieved a profound
victory in the Sharm al-Shaykh Conference. The article says that although all
Iraq's neighbouring countries had a common goal, which was to foil the
political process in Iraq and the departure of the US and British forces from
the region, each country had its own agenda in Iraq. Iran wants a regime
similar to its regime, Syria wants a Ba'thist regime to be easily controlled,
Saudi Arabia does not want the control of the Shi'i majority, Turkey has
ambitions to annex the oil rich Mosul and Kirkuk regions, and Jordan dreams
of returning the monarchy rule. In Sharm al-Shaykh, however, it was made
clear that the US and Britain are determined to go ahead with the political
process in Iraq, thus, each country was looking for its own interests.
IRAQI BROADCAST MEDIA SUMMARIES, 30 Nov 04
Programme summary of Iraqi Al-Iraqiyah TV news news 30 Nov 04:
Prime Minister Iyad Allawi denies report on conference to be
held in Amman with Iraqi opposition abroad ...
Interim National Assembly hears Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hoshyar Zebari report on Sharm al-Shaykh summit ...
Recorded interview with member of National Assembly, Jawad
al-Attar. He says national reconciliation discussed by assembly
...
Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih says from London that
members of former regime to stand trial ...
Kirkuk city council announces in press conference election
preparations ...
Iraqi Islamic Party says election means to better future ...
Car bomb blast injures five multinational soldiers on road to
Baghdad airport; suicide bombing in Bayji kills four and injures
17 ...
Security force arrests 24 terror suspects in Mosul; multinational
force holds five gunmen in Tikrit ...
Iraq has lowest Aids cases in the world--Ministry of Health ...
Report on teachers' college in Samawah ...
Joint Sunni and Shiite waqf in Kirkuk opens pilgrimage
application registry ...
More than 40 drown while crossing river to Turkey ...
UN chief disappointed over his son involvement in sleaze case ...
US Secretary of State Colin Powell says no reason to delay Iraq
election ...
Iraqi-Russian joint venture to be set up says Allawi ...
Saudi Arabia committed to reduce Iraq debts ...
Development projects under consideration by Ministry of
Planning ...
Report on growing demand in Iraq for precious stones
Programme summary of Iraqi SCIRI's Voice of Mujahidin news 30 Nov 04:
Representatives of Iraq's neighbours, as well as Egypt, are due to
meet in Tehran today to help Iraqis bring about stability in their
country ...
It has been announced in Amman that the Iraqi prime minister is due
to arrive in Amman today for talks with Iraqi opposition
representatives ...
The Iraqi prime minister orders that the curfew on Baghdad will be
from 2300 to 0500 ...
A spokesman for the US forces in Iraq says that 13 US soldiers were
wounded when a mortar shell landed on a US military base south of
Baghdad ...
In an interview with Al-Sharqiyah Channel yesterday, the Iraqi prime
minister said that armed operations are decreasing and that elections
will take place on time ...
US forces kill 15 Iraqis northeast of the city of Al-Fallujah, and two US
soldiers were wounded near Baghdad yesterday. In Al-Ramadi, 12
Iraqi policemen are killed ...
In a statement to the press, the Iraqi planning minister says that
yesterday's cabinet meeting decided that discussion of the proposed
delay of elections will remain open ...
The Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission decides to extend
registration time by 10 days ...
The Philippine Government urges armed men, who have abducted a
Filipino citizen in Iraq, to release him ...
The Asian countries' ambassadors to Egypt held a meeting at the
Egyptian Foreign Ministry building yesterday to follow up the recent
Sharm al-Shaykh conference on Iraq ...
A ROK fact-finding parliamentary team leaves for Iraq ...
The Iraqi oil minister urges Japanese companies to take part in
rehabilitating the Iraqi oil installations ...
The Ministry of Electricity says the government expects the
reconstruction of the infrastructure of the electricity sector to cost $25
billion ...
Oil production in southern Iraq reaches 1.5 million barrels a day ...
Programme summary of Iraqi SCIRI's Dar al-Salam Radio news 30 Nov 04:
The Iraqi Islamic Party issues statement No 53 on its position towards
the upcoming election ...
Police arrest an imam of a mosque in the city of Al-Nasiriyah and six
others ...
The US Army announces the death of three of its soldiers and the
wounding of 18 others in three different areas south and west of
Baghdad. An explosion on the airport road damages a US military
vehicle ...
US forces kill two Iraqi citizens in Al-Latifiyah area, and 30 Iraqi
national guardsmen resign in response to a fatwa by the Association of
Muslim Scholars in Iraq
Programme summary of Iraqi Al-Diyar TV news news 30 Nov 04:
A booby-trapped car exploded overnight in Mosul while an American
convoy was passing by. There were casualties among the civilians,
but no exact figure was given ...
Al-Diyar correspondent in Basra says a multinational forces convoy
came under fire on the border region of Safwan. The attackers fled
and some civilian cars were damaged when the multinational force
returned fire ...
The secretary general of the Iraqi Communist Party denies that
Prime Minister Allawi plans to meet with Saddam Husayn's daughter
Raghad in Amman when he travels to hold talks with opposition Iraqi
forces ...
He discusses the national dialogue and elections in a statement to
Al-Diyar ...
The Iraqi National Council today hosts the electricity minister to
discuss the power crisis in the country ...
The interior ministers of the countries neighbouring Iraq meet in
Tehran to discuss the infiltration of foreign fighters into Iraq ...
Report on a seminar in Karbala on the election process and its
mechanisms ...
With the killing of at least three more American soldiers in Iraq on
29th, the American death toll in November rises to 133 ...
The education minister discusses the secondary education system
and the date of examinations ...
Report on the growing phenomenon of attacks on university
professors ...
The Finance Ministry and the Housing Ministry set up joint
committee to provide loans to citizens whose houses were damaged
in military operations ...
The Housing Ministry decides to rehire 129 employees who were
dismissed for political reasons during the time of the former regime
...
The Malaysian Red Crescent Society intends to send a medical team
to Iraq early next year ...
UN spokesman says Kofi Annan's son is involved in the oil-for-food
scandal
KURDISH NEWS, 30 NOV 2004
Barzani Meets UN Envoy Qazi- Kurdistani Nwe
Kurdistani Nwe daily, issued in Sulaymanya by the PUK, 29
November 2004
The PUK leader Jalal Talabani received in his Qalachwalan HQ north of
Sulaymanya Sunday afternoon the Special Representative of UN Secretary-
General (SRSG) Ashraf Qazi who assured his host the UN would continue its
efforts to assist the Iraqis in running the elections process properly and
smoothly. Talabani stressed that rebuilding Iraqi required consensus
amongst all Iraqis without overlooking any party. The same day, Qazi met
with KRG-Sulaymanya Prime Minister Omer Fattah and members of his
cabinet in Sulaymanya. After the meeting, Fattah told reporters he had a
successful meeting with SRSG Qazi on the unsolved Kirkuk issue and return
of Kurdish and Turcoman IDPS, the shortcomings of the [phased out]
SCR986 program, the need for training Kurdistan cadres to enable them
participate in democratizing Iraq and the necessity for allocating legitimate
share of Kurdistan from Iraq reconstruction donor funds. On his turn, Qazi
said as SRSG, he was happy to visit Kurdistan, Talabani and other Kurdish
officials in Sulaymanya and assure them that the UN would exert all efforts in
coordinating with Kurdistan people for advancing the political process and the
conduction of elections according to the mandate encumbered upon it by
SCR1546. Earlier the day, Qazi met with a delegation of Kurdistan Parliament
(KNA) comprising the parliament secretary, heads of KDP and PUK blocks, as
well as head and members of the legal committee at the parliament. The
discussions focused on the timing of the elections, the [phased out] Oil-for-
Food program and the UN assistance for Kurdistan in terms of reconstruction,
political process and security cooperation. The KNA Secretary stressed the
importance of the elections for the Kurds to institutionalize and guarantee
the achievements gained [through out 13 years]. The Kurds were ready for
the timely conduction of the elections technically but they wouldn't oppose a
postponement if the demand came from southern and central Iraq, he added.
The head of the PUK block valued the adoption of Security Council resolutions
688, 986, 1373 and 1456 although the UN officials' mismanagement under
the Saddam regime's influence. We hope to work with the UN with a new
spirit in the new Iraq, the MP added. Following his discussions with the MPs
in Erbil, SRSG briefed reporters on his talks with the KDP leader earlier the
day and his plan t visit Talabani in Sulaymanya.
Talabani, UK envoys discuss elections- KurdSat TV
(KurdSat TV, 30 Nov 04): The leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan,
Jalal Talabani, on 30 November received the British ambassador Edward
Chaplin and British Consul-General in Kirkuk Noel Guckian, the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan satellite TV reported. During the talks, Talabani said that
the people of Kurdistan were ready for the elections as scheduled for
January. However, he added, if there was unanimity among Iraqi political
parties to postpone the elections, the Kurds would go along with that.
Talabani called for the postponement of elections of the Kirkuk Council saying
it was the demand of 15 Kurdistani and Iraqi parties.
Updates from Iraqi Kurdish Press 30 Nov 2004
www.peyamner.com 30 November 2004
? The KDP-PUK bilateral negotiations on formation of joint candidacy lists
for Iraqi and Kurdistan national assemblies are advancing as the KDP
withdrew its condition to have more seats than the PUK. The latter had
rejected the conditing earlier. According to Chawder weekly, the two
parties have reached an agreement stipulating that the PUK leader Jalal
Talabani would be the Kurdistani candidate for Iraqi presidency or
PM post while the KDP leader Massoud Barzani would run for Kurdistan
Region presidency.
? In an interview with Chawder weekly, PUK External Relations Bureau
Chief Muhammed Tofiq Rahim said he was against joining Yakgirtu
(Kurdistan Islamic Union) to a united Kurdistani candidacy alliance. The
PUK and KDP have agreed on a joint Kurdistani [national] agenda but
Yakgirtu is completely different… it has its own agenda, he explained.
In related news, the weekly reports that the two major parties were
seriously debating inviting the other political parties to the joint list and
had agreed principally to give them a small rate of the seats. In all
cases, Yakgirtu and Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG lead by Ali Bapeer,
who is in a US-held prison since June 2003) will be excluded from the
joint list, the weekly asserted.
? Yakgirtu and 5 Iraqi political parties commended by the Iraqi
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), issued a joint statement
calling for a broad meeting next week to unify their stances regarding
postponement of the elections. National Islamic Party, Arab Democratic
Front, Iraqi Independent Front, Liberation and Reconciliation Block,
Iraqi National Movement and Yakgirtu published their statement on
www.elaph.com website calling for postponement of the elections until
securing proper conditions for the process.
? The US Energy Information board reported that Iraqi revenues from oil
sale in 2004 had reached $17.8 billion and the expected revenue for
year 2005 would be $19.4 billion. The Iraqi government had allotted
only %8 of the revenue for Kurdistan region budget this year while
most of the exported oil was extracted from the Northern (Kirkuk) oil
wells in Kurdistan. \
? Kurdistan Communist Party (KCP), Kurdistan Toilers Party (KTP) and
Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party (KSDP) are considering forming an
electoral alliance, KCP politburo member Ahmed Hamid said in a
special interview. Hamid confirmed that the PUK and KDP had reached
an agreement for a joint list and they were negotiating with other
parties, including KCP. He added that his party expected 4-5 seats
from a possible alliance [with KDP and PUK] but the KCP was more
concerned with the Kurdish people's higher interests rather than the
number of seats the party could gain.
***
NB: This is not an official document. The information contained therein was compiled by the United Nations Assistance Mission
for Iraq, Information Office. If you have any questions/suggestions, please contact us at (+ 962 550 -4631/4703 or Cell. + 962 77
619 731 jarrar@un.org or alsokhni@un.org
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