Corruption in Kurdistan Continues - Part 1

So far, numerous articles/reports have been published in the press to highlight rampant corruption, abuse of public and government funds and mismanagement issues in Iraqi Kurdistan. KRG officials have not only striven to refute these facts, but also resorted to intimidation and muzzling of critics. Most notably, as elected representatives of people, they have totally failed to address such imperative issues diligently. When the subject of corruption is focused, to evade the accountability, KRG officials shift the blame on one another just like the unresolved status of Kirkuk. The two major political parties (PUK and KDP) have long been targeted for their inactions and failures. When confronted by people about what they have really been able to achieve for the nation so far, they simply divert the entire issue with a pretext that since 2003 they have made tremendous progress in all areas and taken the necessary steps to resolve the shortfalls, particularly about the deteriorating state of corruption. Fairly arbitrating, one cannot utterly rebuff KRG claims and efforts however, in view of the available time, opportunities to eradicate this epidemic and with ample resources at their disposal, their strategies have proven ineffective. Facts and statistics radically contradict with what KRG officials tout and try to sell to public and the international community. Billions of public funds are squandered every year without any accountability and without reaching the goals any near.
To seek the extent of truth in these contentions, I planned to set off to Kurdistan on my own and perform an independent research on this subject. Following is my findings based on a number of visits to government institutions in Hawler, Duhok and Kirkuk governorates, conversations with the general public, families of Anfal, Barzanis, interviews with KRG officials, senior members of Kurdistan parliaments and ministries and ultimately a visit directly to " Sares Rash" , KDP's headquarter.


To commence with, I would like to point toward our monopolized economy. All financial institutions, business centers, commercial lands and complex, illegal and legal foreign import/export, black market, foreign investment projects in Duhok, Sulaymaniyah ,Kirkuk and Hawler are owned overly or covertly by the two major political parties (KDP and KDP). Without political connection and membership or a mandatory partnership agreement, one is not allowed to launch or implement any form of business investment project in Iraqi Kurdistan. Senior members in both parties splurge public funds on comfy cars, lavish vacations and for their personal interests while, the poor starve to death and die from disease due to the lack of government attention.
Public funds are deposited into private accounts in finical institutions in Lebanon, Europe and the USA in numerous accounts under different names with the knowledge of host states. There is no taxing system to scrutinize such illegally earned incomes.
Real Estate and cash distribution, retirement plans and business and education opportunities are only accessible to members of the political parties. Without joining one of the two major ruling parties in Kurdistan, one does not see much prospects of advancement. Superior job placement is only for opted members of political parties, not based on requisite merits. Many talented and qualified young Kurdish candidates are deprived from employment opportunities. The old belief of regionalism, tribalism (Sorani, Badini), factionalism, ( PUK, PDK) and nepotism has not yet been overcome.


Members of parliament and government ministries receive something equivalent to $7000 US dollar monthly as pension for their entire lives. Some have served only for a two year term and been retired. On average, each member holds at least 5 to 10 real estate properties exceeding millions of dollars in value. There is no land ceiling law enacted to restrict unlimited ownership of the limited resources (Land). Senior leaders in KDP have constructed mile-long villas on the expense of martyred families. They obtain residential lands at no cost and resell it back to the destitute for tens of millions of US dollars.


Private foreign countries have resumed extracting, refining and exporting Kurdistan oil since 1991. It has been two decades since Kurdistan oil and natural resources have been exploited illegally and exported in secret to state refinery companies in Iran and Turkey. New York Times report (Smugglers in Iraq Blunt Sanctions against Iran) had confirmed the same account in an article published on 8 July 2010.


Anfal, Halabja and Barzani families receive only 350 dollar despite the ever-increasing inflation. A TV set costs 500 US dollar. Some of these families manage to survive in uninhabited shelters short of the most basic necessities, including: electricity, water, clean drinking water. Among them are families which have lost more than three male members at the same time, leaving the dependents without any livelihood. The underprivileged class of the society continues to suffer from power shortage twenty hours per day. In certain areas, the power goes off for days while the government continues to collect utility bills every month regardless. In some cases, in some same neighborhood, there are residents who enjoy full un-interrupted power while some have none. Citizens' rights are infringed as a result of discriminatory and unequal power distribution practices. Urbanization and devolvement in certain areas is hampered due to such inequalities. Colonies mostly inhabited by Kurdish citizens are more vulnerable to lack of government intervention, places such as Italian, English villages and areas in Ankawa are provided with 24/7 electricity. School going children cannot study, food materials in freezers get rotten, and day to day activities are hampered. There are no research/development centers, nor does the government bear any contingency plans in place for alternate energy resources. Solar energy, which is nonpolluting and abundantly available in Kurdistan, can easily be harvested to solve the power crisis.


People are compelled to remain loyal to some political parties instead of working in the interest of the Nation. The system of transportation is ineffective and does not serve the purpose. Government departments have not yet been computerized with centralized information system.
Technical and Professional education is not emphasized as a result of which we are forced to depend on foreign experts by paying huge remuneration from public funds. The government has not established adequate universities, colleges for students. In other words, students perceive no future in pursuing higher education and they merely focus on business or non technical occupations.


Intimidation, imprisonment, and repression of critical opponents, anti government voices are beyond measure. Media is only an entertainment tool, not used for public enlightenment purpose. The general public has no clue what their government does. It's a deliberate scheme to keep the public away from the realities.
In certain regions, if someone wishes to serve his people by his own private capital, establishing any kind of facility is forbidden. A plain example is in or around Barzan region.
Another alarming point is the manipulation of our markets by Turkish Turks. Turkish capitalists own 70% of small business centers in Kurdistan. If this status quo persists, it is estimated that by 2021, they will hold enough leverage to run our economy and politics.


Iranian and Turkish intelligence agents are stationed all over, including Sare Rash. MIT agents visit our leaders and hold meetings on a regular base. Imposed economic sanction has pressured Iran to dispatch its agents all over Kurdistan in pursuit of US latest technology and to safeguard its deficiencies.
Along the Kurdistan/Turkey borders, clandestine business centers have been constructed that except for certain KDP high-ranking officials, no one dares enter. Almost every residential building has been commercialized.
No efforts have been put to produce any manufactured goods s at all. We are totally dependent on Turkish and Iranian imports. There is not a single item that is not imported from other countries. It is a great threat to our economic independence. In case of a simple border closing for a week, there will be a real crisis that can easily bring the routine life to a standstill. The revenues generated from different sources are plundered instead of being expended on renovating and upgrading our superseded system.
KRG has made the public contingent on free salaries on purpose for numerous grounds. First: they continue to remain dependent and loyal to political parties. Second: to divert their attention from the growing corruption and away from interfering in politics. The recipients of such benefits are again members of the political parties only, not the poor.
Employees in government department's work no more than 3-4 hours per day. Some government's banks and offices are only open from 10 to 12 a.m., which causes many public issues to remain unsolved or unattended.
In conclusion: In view of KRG 17% budget from the central government, billions of dollars revenues from illicit public oil export, gigantic business investment projects, joint share in foreign oil companies, international humanitarian aid, reselling of public land, Kurdistan generates more than the essential funds to address all these concerns. The key question is where, how, when and why all these used or misused?
Kurdish citizens should wake up and to react to such situations. The system is corrupt and in immediate need of radical changes and reforms. The ruling parties abuse their power and betray public faith.
It is time for a complete change either through a military coup or a revolution to alleviate public sufferings from such dictators once and for all.