Iraq Press Roundup

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Federalism is turning into a bomb

The latest political skirmish between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and leaders in Iraqi Kurdistan highlights the acrimonious relationship between Baghdad and Erbil, the independent Azzaman said Friday.

Some elements in Baghdad are calling on Maliki to redraft certain elements in the Iraqi Constitution dealing with national hydrocarbons. This is illogical, however, as it may tighten Kurdish control over oil contracts with foreign companies, the paper said.

The relationship between the two governments soured over summer conflicts with the Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi national forces over disputed territories in the north of Diyala province. Maliki also has expressed consternation over Kurdish moves to establish diplomatic offices in foreign countries.

The Kurdish government, however, is operating within its constitutional authority as legal entity and should be praised, not deterred, for its contribution to the region and to Iraq as a whole, the paper said.

While Kurdish authorities may be bombastic on several fronts, the Iraqi Constitution allows for a decentralized power structure with strong provincial governments.

Recent moves by Maliki to demand a stronger role for the prime minister are not acceptable in a country that advocates freedom and the electoral process. This, Azzaman said, is part of the continued violation of the constitutional rights afforded to the Kurdish people and their representative government.

Be aware of the Islamic parties

Islamic parties in Iraq are taking several measures, both legal and illegal, to push their ideology and secure more seats in the January provincial elections, Kitabat said Friday.

Islamic parties are exploiting both Shiite and Sunni teachings in an effort to push their hidden agendas on the Iraqi people. It is the poor and the needy who are paying the price for these political standings.

The educated people in Iraqi society need to warn against voting for Islamic parties, as they would make social conditions worse in the war-torn country.

If Islamic parties take office, it will consolidate sectarianism and bring more sorrow and bloodshed to the Iraqi people. It will also divide the country and erase democratic gains, pushing the country back toward a dictatorship based on Islamic ideals.

Vote for the Iraqi Communist Party

Communist parties in Iraq are resuming their campaign after several years by embracing youthful energy in the run-up to provincial elections, Sot al-Iraq said Friday.

The Communist platform of unity and equality among the various social classes is impossible under the crisis caused by the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Their solidarity, however, differs from other parties as they do not differentiate or support any one platform over the other.

The Communist Party emerged out of the southern Wasit province to embrace a dream of equality, hoping the bloodshed of its martyrs would usher in a new hope for tomorrow, the news service said.

U.S. officials in Iraqi governing parties are not convinced of the Communist objective, though there is hope the party will receive backing by an Iraqi public hoping for a national revival.

The Communists will give their lives for Iraq and will not compromise their positions unless for the freedom and independence of the country.

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(Edited by Daniel Graeber)