Spoetnik
19-04-05, 12:50
KDP and PUK supporters clash following Talabani’s election
16/04/2005 KurdishMedia.com - By Bryar Mariwani
London (KurdishMedia.com) 16 April 2005: Clashes have erupted between the supporters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), headed by the elected Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, and the supporters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Massoud Barzani in several areas in south Kurdistan, according to the Kurdish weekly Hawlati.
As television channels worldwide covered the election of Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani to the position of President of Iraq, widespread celebrations were organised by the PUK across southern Kurdistan. The PUK’s satellite television station, KurdSat, ran a 4-day campaign promoting Talabani, and parties and celebrations at the PUK headquarters were broadcast live.
Clashes in Hewler
In Hewler (Erbil), the seat of the Kurdistan parliament, supporters of the PUK and KDP have started to provoke each other by parading the photos of Talabani and Barzani and the PUK and KDP flags. Hawlati reports that in the clashes many photos of Talabani were torn. Quoting a Hewler security officer, Hawlati says that no one has been arrested in Hewler but some elements acting as Asayish (security) officers have torn photos of Talabani and beaten up random individuals.
The Kurdish weekly reported the events that in the village of Asihi, which belongs to the town of Smel, near Zaxo, the PUK headquarters organised a party on 8 April. KDP supporters carrying yellow KDP flags entered the party and PUK supporters attacked them. The KDP supporters then withdrew and set up a checkpoint near a road leading to Smel. KDP security forces then arrived at the checkpoint and stopped them.
The next day, 500 peshmergas of the KDP’s Zaweta forces surrounded and attacked Smell and arrested a number of PUK members at the PUK’s headquarters. The arrested PUK members were then publicly beaten and detained at the Asayish security headquarters in Smel.
Stoning in Soran
Supporters of the KDP and PUK started to rally around the city on 9 April, carrying photos of Talabani and Barzani. Accordnig to Hawlati, at some stage the supporters of the two parties threw stones at each other.
Jalal Talabani was nominated by the Kurdistani Alliance List, which won approximately 26% of the votes in Iraq’s recent general elections, the highest post given to Kurds in the Iraqi government.
http://kurdishmedia.com/news.asp?id=6624
16/04/2005 KurdishMedia.com - By Bryar Mariwani
London (KurdishMedia.com) 16 April 2005: Clashes have erupted between the supporters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), headed by the elected Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, and the supporters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Massoud Barzani in several areas in south Kurdistan, according to the Kurdish weekly Hawlati.
As television channels worldwide covered the election of Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani to the position of President of Iraq, widespread celebrations were organised by the PUK across southern Kurdistan. The PUK’s satellite television station, KurdSat, ran a 4-day campaign promoting Talabani, and parties and celebrations at the PUK headquarters were broadcast live.
Clashes in Hewler
In Hewler (Erbil), the seat of the Kurdistan parliament, supporters of the PUK and KDP have started to provoke each other by parading the photos of Talabani and Barzani and the PUK and KDP flags. Hawlati reports that in the clashes many photos of Talabani were torn. Quoting a Hewler security officer, Hawlati says that no one has been arrested in Hewler but some elements acting as Asayish (security) officers have torn photos of Talabani and beaten up random individuals.
The Kurdish weekly reported the events that in the village of Asihi, which belongs to the town of Smel, near Zaxo, the PUK headquarters organised a party on 8 April. KDP supporters carrying yellow KDP flags entered the party and PUK supporters attacked them. The KDP supporters then withdrew and set up a checkpoint near a road leading to Smel. KDP security forces then arrived at the checkpoint and stopped them.
The next day, 500 peshmergas of the KDP’s Zaweta forces surrounded and attacked Smell and arrested a number of PUK members at the PUK’s headquarters. The arrested PUK members were then publicly beaten and detained at the Asayish security headquarters in Smel.
Stoning in Soran
Supporters of the KDP and PUK started to rally around the city on 9 April, carrying photos of Talabani and Barzani. Accordnig to Hawlati, at some stage the supporters of the two parties threw stones at each other.
Jalal Talabani was nominated by the Kurdistani Alliance List, which won approximately 26% of the votes in Iraq’s recent general elections, the highest post given to Kurds in the Iraqi government.
http://kurdishmedia.com/news.asp?id=6624