THEY were already queuing outside polling stations by dawn. It was a day many Iraqi Kurds had been waiting on for a very long time: a chance to vote in an independence referendum despite enormous political pressure from Iraq’s central government in Baghdad, threats from Turkey and Iran and strong disapproval from Washington, London and the United Nations.
During yesterday’s historic vote, nowhere was election violence and unrest feared more than in the oil-rich and ethnically-mixed city of Kirkuk. Sitting in what is described as part of the “disputed territories,” Kirkuk is claimed by both the Kurds and Iraq’s central government.
Over the past three years, Kurdish Peshmerga forces have taken control of Kirkuk city and other “disputed” areas while driving out the jihadists of Islamic State (IS).
In a pre-referendum clash at least one Kurd was killed and, unhappy that Kirkuk’s city council opted to take part in the referendum, the Baghdad government asked MPs to dismiss its governor, Najm al-Din Karim, who has stayed in office.
Yesterday as Kurdish citizens made their way to polling stations, many wearing national dress and carrying their red-white-green tricolour flag set with a blazing golden sun, Mr Karim spoke to me at his heavily fortified residence in Kirkuk city. Asked to sum up the day, he said quite simply “it is the happiest day of my life. It’s a day I have been working for since I was 14 or 15-years-old. Now we are part of history, this is something my great grandchildren will remember: September 25, 2017 ”.
Pushed on the political uncertainty before yesterday’s referendum and the likelihood of violence, he admitted concern but remains convinced of the decision to go ahead.
“There were anxious moments, but we felt very strongly that Kirkuk had to be included in the referendum,” he said. He also acknowledged the fears of many countries “who had come to believe” the vote would lead to unrest in Kirkuk and violence across Iraq.
“But I was convinced that was not the case, as I was born in Kirkuk, raised here and have been governor for six and half years, and I know the people, my people, are not for violence but for coexistence”
He insisted that the sectarianism “that killed Iraq” in 2003 no longer exists in Kirkuk. “Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Shi’ites, Sunnis, have been living side by side in this city. It’s the people from outside who make these grand pronouncements about how dangerous Kirkuk is, that it’s a timebomb or tinderbox and they have been saying this since 2003 and they have been proven wrong,” he continued.
One of a number of international visitors in Iraqi Kurdistan to witness how the election unfolds is Alyn Smith, SNP MEP. As a member of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and its Delegation for Relations with Iraq, he visited Erbil and Kirkuk.
He said: “I’m not here to support the referendum, but to see for myself how the situation stands and what the EU can do to assist.” As a Scot, he was in Kurdistan also to respect the legitimate right to self determination. “With that right comes responsibilities, to respect and protect minorities, and to be sensitive and pragmatic to the neighbours,” he said.
Just a short distance away in the heart of Kirkuk city, its citizens queued at polling stations. Outside, Peshmerga guards with Kalashnikov rifles watched on. Many families had turned the poll into something of a festival by dressing up for the occasion and bringing their children along to one polling station in a school, despite the potential threat from gunmen.
“Everyone here is so happy, this is a special day,” said one young woman called Prewen, a teacher responsible for supervising one of the ballot boxes into which voters dropped their ballots before dipping a finger into ink to show they had voted.
“I hope it will remain peaceful now, today, throughout the polling and in the days ahead,” Prewen added, as a constant stream of men and women voted.
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