CPTnet
9 May 2014
IRAQI KURDISTAN: Federation of Civil Society Organizations commemorates
assassination of Sardasht Osman, decries election violence
 |
|
May 5, 2014 marked the fourth anniversary of the murder of
the young journalist Sardasht Osman. To address the inaction of the authorities in bringing his
murderers to justice and the prevalence of violence, both physical and
psychological, in Kurdish society that re-emerged during the recent elections,
the Federation of the Civil Society Organizations of Suleimani, of which CPT
Iraqi Kurdistan is a member, published a written statement. Below are excerpts that highlight the
yearning of people living in the area of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)
for a democratic, transparent, and just society:
In 1991 the Kurdish people hoped that they had reached an
end of the oppressive dictatorship and that the windows and gates to people’s
dreams for political liberty and freedom of thinking opened. Unfortunately, the removal of a regime
that practiced all possible kinds of abuses did not automatically establish
democracy. The madness of the
violation of the political and personal rights continues. The political parties pursue power, control,
and their own benefits instead of the principles of democracy. They do not accept each other, do not
want to allow for the exchange of power between parties. Parties threaten and fire people from
jobs, kill journalists and ignore criminal cases, such as the case of Sardasht
Osman and so many others in the past years and present.(…)
We call for all political parties to respect the different
voices of people and different colors for which they vote. We ask that the parties find common
points to share between themselves and the common people and respect what the
Kurdish people have struggled for. After the results of the elections are published, the parties
should seek better ways to build the society. They should sit together at one table and search for
understanding and common ground that they can all agree on. Thus they will stay away from conflict
and violence that keep on threatening the future of the Kurdish people.
