Kurdistan Democratic Party
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (Kurdish: پارتی دیموکراتی کوردستان, romanized: Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê), usually abbreviated as KDP or PDK, is the largest party in Iraqi Kurdistan and the senior partner in the Kurdistan Regional Government. It was founded in 1946 in Mahabad in Iranian Kurdistan. The party states that it combines "democratic values and social justice to form a system whereby everyone in Kurdistan can live on an equal basis with great emphasis given to rights of individuals and freedom of expression."
For other uses, see Kurdistan Democratic Party (disambiguation).
Kurdistan Democratic Party پارتی دیموکراتی کوردستان
Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê
Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê
16 August 1946
The KDP is dominated by the Barzani tribe and the party's stated ideologies are lawfulness, secularism, and Kurdish nationalism. It wants to build a "social-oriented" economy, and lists civil solidarity and social justice as the basis of its ideology.[5][7]
Kurdistan Democratic Party was established on August 16, 1946, under the leadership of Mustafa Barzani.[52]
The leadership and organisational structure of the party is as follows:
The structure and party administration is divided into regions or branches known as "Liq", districts as "Nawçe", local organisations as "Řekxiraw" and cells as "Şane". Each Liq is subdivided into Nawçe; Nawçe into Řekxiraw and Řekxiraw into Şanes.
Members of Political Bureau or Central Committee head each branch. Other members are elected at branch and district conferences.
Congresses[edit]
First Congress[edit]
The first congress of the party convened in Baghdad in 1946, thanks to Barzani's initiative in the aftermath of the Republic of Mahabad Indeed, the peculiar circumstances of the Kurdish people necessitated the existence of a patriotic, nationalist and democratic party capable of leading the movement of the Kurds. At this congress, the party's statute was formulated and Barzani was elected the first president of the party.
Second Congress[edit]
The Second Congress convened in Baghdad in March 1951 at a time when some of the party's leadership members had been arrested by the Iraqi regime and the party members were subjected to arrest and chasing under martial laws and the party ranks were beginning to disintegrate.
Third Congress[edit]
The Third Congress convened in Kirkuk on January 26, 1953, with the view of reinforcing the party ranks. It was in this congress that the party's name was changed from the Kurdish Democratic Party into the Kurdistan Democratic Party. It was also decided to form a number of Kurdish popular and professional organisations, and the name of the party's organ was changed from Rizgari to Khebat.
Fourth Congress[edit]
This congress convened in Baghdad, October 4–7, 1959 following the demise of the Iraqi Monarchy amidst considerable political freedom. Mustafa Barzani and his comrades had already returned home from the Soviet exile. This Congress is considered to be one of the most important congresses of the KDP and the first one to be attended by Barzani. In this congress, the KDP was able to rid itself of the ideological conflicts and adopt a nationalist and progressive position.
Fifth Congress[edit]
The Fifth Congress convened at the KDP's Headquarter in Baghdad in early May 1960. It convened following the announcement of the political parties' law. This was the first time for the KDP to be officially permitted to conduct its activities publicly and legally.
Sixth Congress[edit]
This congress convened in Qala Diza in early July 1964. It was devoted to the conflicts, within the leadership, brought about by the negotiations that had taken place between the Kurdish movement and the Iraqi regime. Representatives from the Ahmad-Talabani faction were arrested on arrival.
Seventh Congress[edit]
The Seventh Congress convened in Galala on November 15, 1966, in the wake of June 29 agreement. The KDP seized the chance to further unify its ranks
Eighth Congress[edit]
This congress convened in Naw Pirdan on July 1, 1970, almost four months after March 11 Agreement with the objective of enhancing the ranks of the party, the people of Kurdistan and that of Iraqi people as whole. This congress is considered to be a very important one with regard to organisation, maximum attendance by party members, guests, friends of the party and the Kurdish people as well as realisation of the congressional objectives.
Ninth Congress[edit]
This congress convened on the Iraqi–Iranian–Turkish borders, December 4–13, 1979. It was the first congress after the death of its leader Mustafa Barzani. It was also the first congress after the 1975 conspiracy. The congress was considerably successful in reorganising the parties ranks and re-establishment of the May Revolution institutions. It was in this congress that Masoud Barzani was elected the chairman of the KDP; in his words, "this was the most difficult and burdensome congress". Sami Abd al Rahman and other intellectuals began to dissociate themselves from the party, dissatisfied with the traditionalism implicit in Barzani leadership and its supporters, and by the close ties forged by Idris Barzani and the Khomeini regime.[35]
Tenth Congress[edit]
This congress of the KDP convened in the district of Margewer, December 12–17, 1989. It was in the aftermath of the well documented barbaric chemical attacks against the Kurds and the Anfal operations by the Iraqi regime resulting in the annihilation of tens of thousands of helpless people, displacement and deportation of a similar number of innocent civilians with devastation of more than 4.500 Kurdish villages and townships. In this congress heavy emphasis was laid on unifying the party ranks, and consolidating the Kurdistan Front and popular unity.
Eleventh Congress[edit]
This congress was convened in Erbil on August 16, 1993, against the background of new and rapid developments in Kurdish politics and the region. Over two-thirds of the Kurdistan Region was controlled by the Kurds and an elected Kurdish National Assembly with a regional government was running the affairs of Kurds. In the 11th Congress, a number of other political parties reunited with the KDP and further consolidated and strengthened the party's position amongst the Kurdish nation.
Twelfth Congress[edit]
This congress was convened in Erbil from October 6 to October 13 and held against a background of several years of internal conflicts and KDP's leading role in the third cabinet of the regional government. The developments in the region and the world all contributed to KDP's new outlook and approaches to international and regional politics. New figures and fresh blood were introduced into the new leadership through a democratic election of Central Committee.