To the Kurdish candidates for the Iraqi parliament

With all due respect for your professional and academic standing, I would like to point out that engaging with Baghdad requires certain essential skills, given the differences in language, thought, and orientation among the various parties. Therefore, I ask: how do you plan to enhance your knowledge of political behavior and political culture in order to interact effectively with Baghdad, while being familiar with the history of political parties and their key figures, and having the ability to negotiate, compromise, and persuade in a way that serves the interests of the Kurds?

It is worth noting that some of you have gained significant experience through holding this position multiple times, which I believe will support you in this field.

Although I am fully aware that the role of a parliamentarian in Iraq is not genuinely representative but rather appears largely symbolic, this reality does not absolve the parliamentarian of responsibility. The lack of a true representative role stems, to a large extent, from the failure of some parliamentarians—without generalizing—to effectively perform their duties within the parliament or its specialized committees.

While major decisions often remain in the hands of party leaders, reaching those decisions still requires active engagement and cooperation from the parliamentarians themselves, each according to their competence, ability to persuade, and initiative. Only through such collaboration can they achieve the intended goals and represent the people’s interests in a deeper and more genuine manner.

To clarify further, a successful parliamentarian is one who possesses:
- A deep political culture and understanding of political behavior and decision-making mechanisms.
- Negotiation and persuasion skills, with the ability to reach compromises.
- Accurate knowledge of political parties, their key figures, and their strengths and weaknesses.
- Effective communication skills, both orally and in writing.
- Integrity and credibility in political work.
- A strategic vision to protect the interests of their people, far from narrow personal gains.

Possessing these qualities and skills enables a parliamentarian to better protect the interests of their people and positively influence the political scene. I wish you success in serving your people and advancing the interests of the Kurds.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Middle East Online.