Dr. Najmaldin Karim Heads the Kurdistani List to Represent Kerkuk in the Iraqi Parliament

Kurdish National Congress of North America                  

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Dr. Najmaldin Karim Heads the Kurdistani List to Represent Kerkuk in the Iraqi Parliament  

Once again election for the Iraqi Parliament is approaching. All the political factions in Iraq including Kurdistan are reassessing their grassroots political bases in order to do better and gain more seats in Parliament.

For our people in Kurdistan more seats in the Iraqi Parliament mean not only political triumph, but also securing the national interests and among these interests Kerkuk stands at the vanguard. Therefore, it is our sacred national duty to send the Kerkuk delegation to the Iraqi Parliament on a solid ground on which they can stand tall and act strong.

The Kerkuk issue has reached a very sensitive stage, where the Arab chauvinists in Baghdad are more united in maintaining Kerkuk under and perpetuating the Iraqi control over this historically Kurdistani city. After the collapse of the Ba’athist regime, it has become more vivid than ever before that the practical approaches of the current Iraqi government have not been different from Saddam’s government and the regimes that preceded him. Their myopic political mentality has never allowed them to see the historical reality of our people—thus, they have always been keen to keep our lands under various pretexts and alter the demography of our beloved Kurdistan.

Hence, time is ticking, and our people race against time. Unity and clarity in our vision and mission is needed more than ever before. It does not matter how we feel about each other or under what list we send the delegates to Baghdad, we must stand united and strive together to return Kerkuk and other sequestered lands to Kurdistan.

Consequently, Dr. Najmaldin Karim has taken upon this historical duty and decided to join this national endeavor by leading the Kurdistani List and assist the process of creating a stronger Kerkuki voice in the Iraqi Parliament. Thus, our plea to the fellow Kurds in Kurdistan and Diaspora, particularly the Kerkukis is to go out and support this effort, and help Dr. Najmaldin and others in Kerkuk and other cities in Kurdistan to lead this tedious but glorious mission. We must remember “United we stand—divided we fall.”