Historical background

On September 16, 1943, in East Kurdistan, the Kurdish Resurrection Association (Jiyanewey Kurd - JK) was founded, then on August 16, 1945, its name was changed to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran. This party, with the support of the Soviet Union, on December 22, 1946, under the leadership of Qazi Muhammad, established the Republic of Kurdistan (Mahabad) in a part of East Kurdistan. At the same time, on December 15, 1945, under the leadership of General Mustafa Barzani, the Freedom Committee was established in South Kurdistan.

After the defeat of the Second Barzani Revolution in 1945, General Mustafa Barzani, the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolution, with the advice of the Freedom Committee and the commander of the battle fronts, after contacting the Kurdish leaders of Iranian Kurdistan and Soviet officials, decided to withdraw all his forces to Iranian Kurdistan. After several battles, on October 11, 1945, they crossed into Iranian Kurdistan via Keleshin-Mergewer. After the declaration of the Republic of Kurdistan in Mahabad, despite their difficult situation, General Mustafa Barzani's forces joined the republic with all their might.

Decision to establish

The situation in Iranian Kurdistan did not soften the Freedom Committee's view on the fate of the Kurdish movement in South Kurdistan with change, especially the experience of establishing the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran and the experiences gained in the second Barzani revolution showed that this stage requires the establishment of a party like the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran in Iraqi Kurdistan. Therefore, after extensive research and investigation into the situation of the region, Mustafa Barzani and his friends, officers and members of the Freedom Committee decided to establish a party in Iraqi Kurdistan in a way that would be in accordance with the demands and goals of the people of Kurdistan. 

The basis for the establishment of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was laid in the first meeting of Mustafa Barzani with lawyer Hamza Abdullah, Captain Mirhaj Ahmed Tahir, Colonel Rukin Ezzat Abdulaziz, Captain Mustafa Khoshnaw, Captain Khayrullah Abdulkarim, Captain Muhammad Mahmud Qudsi and Lieutenant Nuri Ahmed Taha, and later they named them the Founding Committee, and in the same meeting, an attempt was made to implement the first program and internal regulations of the party.

Because of the sensitive period that the Republic of Kurdistan was going through, in order not to be threatened by regional countries, Mustafa Barzani and his friends decided that the establishment of the party and its direct activities should move to South Kurdistan. For this reason, it was decided that Hamza Abdullah should return to South Kurdistan with full authority and several proposals to meet with the officials of the Revolutionary Party, the Freedom Party, and the Democratic Branch of Sulaymaniyah.

The proposals were:

  1. There should be no changes in the party's program and internal regulations.

  2. Sheikh Latif Hafid, son of Sheikh Mahmud Hafid, must become the first deputy president.

  3.  Muhammad Kake Ziyad Koye should be appointed as the second deputy.

  4. In order not to give a pretext to imperialism, until the Party itself is crushed, do not place too much emphasis on British interests; this is in addition to the fact that British imperialism is old and it is better for its vacuum to be filled by a national force 

rather than falling into the hands of a new imperialism like the United States of America (USA). 

In the spring of 1946, Hamza Abdullah returned to South Kurdistan and established contact with famous parties and figures. The leadership of both the Revolutionary and Liberation parties decided to dissolve their parties and join the party, on the condition that both parties hold their congresses and announce the changes to their members.

The congress of both parties was held in early August 1946, and most of their members joined the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and a small number of leaders and members of the Revolutionary Party also joined the Iraqi Communist Party. Previously, on the issue of joining a new party, the Liberation Party had held a meeting with the Kurdish Resurrection Association (JK) South Kurdistan Branch. As a result of these discussions, some leaders of the Kurdish Resurrection Association (JK) joined the Liberation Party and Ibrahim Ahmed asked for permission to respond.

Establishment

In early August 1946, the Revolutionary Party and the Kurdish Liberation Party held their dissolution congress and decided to join the KDP. After the preparations were completed, the new party held its first secret congress on August 16, 1946, at the house of Sa'id Fahim in Baghdad with the attendance of 70 representatives. In that congress, most of the members of the leadership of the Revolutionary Party, the entire leadership of the Liberation Party except Salih Haydari and Nafe Yunis, Mustafa Barzani's trusted representative Hamza Abdullah, Mahmud Ahmed, the representative of Sheikh Latif Hafid, Mr. Ziyad Koye, and Ibrahim Ahmed, representatives of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran Sulaymaniyah Branch, participated.

The congress successfully carried out its work and duties, and the members of the congress, after evaluation, approved with some changes the text of the program and internal regulations that had been prepared by the founding committee in Mahabad. The new party was named the Kurdistan Democratic Party (Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iraq). In the congress, Mustafa Barzani was elected as the president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and upon the proposal of Mustafa Barzani, Sheikh Latif Hafid, son of Sheikh Mahmud Hafid, was appointed as the first deputy and Mr. Ziyad Koye as the second deputy of the president. Also, the Rizgari newspaper, which was the voice of the Kurdish Liberation Party, because of its role among the people, became the voice of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and all the assets of both the Revolutionary and Liberation parties were handed over to the newly elected leadership, and it was decided that the headquarters of the party's leadership should be in Baghdad.

After choosing the name of the party, appointing the president and the deputies of the president, the members of the congress began to elect the members of the central committee and these names were elected as members of the central committee:

1. Mustafa Barzani, President

2. Sheikh Latif Sheikh Mahmud Hafid, First Deputy

3. Mr. Ziyad Koye, Second Deputy

4. Hamza Abdullah, Secretary

5. Mirhaj Ahmed Akreyi, Member

6. Dr. Jaafar Muhammad Karim, Member 

7. Ali Abdullah Amin, Member

8. Seyda Salih Yusfi, Member

9. Abdulkarim Tofiq, Member

10. Rashid Abdulqadir Hamawandi, Member

11. Rashid Bajelan, Member

12. Mela Seyid Hakim Khanaqi, Member

13. Awni Yousef Ahmed, Member

14. Taha Mohiddin Ma'ruf, Member

15. Abdul Samad Benna, reserve.

Later, the members of the Central Committee elected the members of the new Political Bureau, which consisted of Hamza Abdullah, Dr. Jaafar Muhammad Karim, Ali Abdullah, Abdulkarim Tofiq, and Rashid Abdulqadir.

The elected Political Bureau of the KDP began distributing its duties and decided that the majority of the Political Bureau members should be based in Baghdad and their headquarters established in that city, and it established a strong connection between the Political Bureau and President Mustafa Barzani in Mahabad.

Source:

  1. Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement 1931-1958, Volume 1, (Erbil, Ministry of Education Press, 2004).

  2. History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Congress and Conference (Program and Internal Regulations), Kurdistan Democratic Party Encyclopedia Committee, Volume 1, (Erbil - Roxana Press - 2021

  3. . Habib Muhammad Karim, History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party - Iraq (at key stations 1946 - 1993), (Duhok - Xebat Press - 1998.  

  4. Ali Abdullah, History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party - Iraq until the Third Congress, (unknown location - 1968).

  5.   Nori Shawes, From My Memoirs, No Location, (Publications of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, 1985).

  6.   Muhammad Mela Qadir, Xebatname, (Erbil, Aras Publishing House, 2007).  

  7. Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement - Barzan Revolution 1945-1958, (Kurdistan - January 1987).