Thousands gather in Erbil to commemorate 1970 Agreement and 1991 Uprising

Erbil, Kurdistan – Iraq (KRG.org) – Thousands of people gathered near the Erbil citadel on Friday to celebrate the anniversaries of the 1970 March Agreement and the 1991 Uprising that was the first step towards liberating the people of Kurdistan from dictatorship. On Friday, the president addressed a crowd in front of the Erbil Citadel in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of their liberation from Saddam’s dictatorial rule. The president congratulated the people of Kurdistan for their success in the long struggle for their emancipation, and he expressed his pleasure at having the opportunity to celebrate with them. On March 11th 1970, the Iraqi Government signed a peace accord with the leaders of the Kurdish liberation movement which became known as the “Manifesto of 11 March 1970”. This manifesto was the most significant historic recognition of Kurdish rights in Iraq to that date. Although the manifesto was never implemented, uprisings began in Rania on March 5th 1991, and continued throughout Kurdistan from there. Six days after the movement began, the people of Erbil joined the revolution. In just over a year, these efforts led to the election of the Regional Parliament and then to the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government. The president described the city as “The heart of history" - the Erbil fortress is believed to be the oldest continually inhabited citadel in the world. He said, “If this city can stand for 8,000 years then Kurdistan can stand through the current crisis.” Speaking on the recent civil unrest in some parts of the region, President Barzani said that there are two features of the recent protests. “The first is a legitimate demand of honesty and accountability from our people, which I fully support. However, the second is the exploitation of these protests by certain political parties for their own political ends.” The president reminded his audience that the current administration derives its power from them. “This government has not imposed itself on you; rather, it was elected by the majority of your votes in 2009 with many international observers who legitimized the results. No one can take away your right to protest. You have entrusted yourselves to this government, and you have the right to change it.” However, he added that one cannot choose to have democracy when in the majority, and then oppose it when in the minority. “If you want to replace this government then you must first become the majority.” “We are aware of many problems in the existing structure, and we are committed to implementing fundamental reforms. We have already held several important meetings to address issues of inefficiency and corruption, and you will begin to see the results of these within three to four months. We will not evade our responsibilities; we will shoulder them. I am on the side of our people and their legitimate demands,” said the President. The president closed his remarks with a call for preserving the stability of the region, and he asked that a culture of peaceful coexistence be cultivated.