A Communique by Organization of the Communist Alternative in Iraq
The flames of the righteous uprising of the youth who are deprived of rights, impoverished and unemployed, and the masses of workers, employees, teachers and the oppressed in Kurdistan are spreading strongly and expanding in most cities and towns in the governorates of Sulaymaniyah and Halabja.
The continuous history of the struggle of the masses of workers, employees, teachers, toilers, emancipatory young women and men, who for the past decade have been searching for the achievement of a radical change, has now arrived, with this uprising, to a new phase. The uprising is full of experience, revolutionary spirit and hope for a bright future that the industrious and liberating masses create in Kurdistan directly by themselves.
The political and social position of this uprising, regardless of any future it will face, is now of special and influential importance, because the uprising not only set the authority as a target for its attack, but also removed before it and before the entire process of revolutionary change in Kurdistan society, the obstacle represented by the forces of the Islamic and national opposition, whom the uprisers burned their headquarters.
The new wave of the uprising, which began with the demonstration last Wednesday (2-12-2020) in Sulaymaniyah, is the revolutionary confrontation of the inhabitants of these two governorates against the corrupt and militia power of the Kurdish bourgeoisie and its currents and political parties, in power and the opposition, including nationalists, Islamists, neoliberals, corrupt and parasites.
The exposure of all bourgeois national and Islamic forces, the rise of radicalism of the masses, and their gaining of clarity of vision, reached a level such that the masses were convinced that nothing could benefit them except their united struggle and revolutionary advances, and this is what created a new stage in the process of revolutionary struggle in Kurdistan.
The popular uprising in these two provinces, a trench for the uprising development throughout Kurdistan; In Erbil, Dehouk and other cities, the voice of their citizens has been stopped, so far, with the most severe forms of violence and repression. The masses of the liberation workers in Kurdistan have a common interest with their class counterparts throughout Iraq and with the October uprising in the cities of the centre and south.
The masses have revolted against both the Islamic-national ruling regime in Baghdad and the Kurdish national system in Kurdistan. Therefore, the two regimes should not be allowed to have the power and ability to manipulate our destiny.
The uprising masses in the two governorates do not lack the revolutionary energy, as their immediate and urgent tasks are to unify their ranks, build a network of linkages between the forces of the uprising in all cities to coordinate their joint work, and to organize and cooperate with each other in any possible and appropriate way.
One of the direct tasks of the uprising activists is to form committees and councils elected by the masses through public meetings in neighbourhoods, squares, factories and workplaces, so that they can supervise the course of the uprising in any city, and secure communication and solidarity with other cities.
As the uprising continues, workers, youth, women, students, teachers, and employees need to form their independent unions and organizations to become an organized and influential political force in society.
Uprising masses, emancipatory young men and women, Workers, and the oppressed masses of Kurdistan
Your current uprising is a justified revolutionary act. It is necessary to find the means of your unified struggle that defends the uprising in a direct and immediate manner, to implement your revolutionary will and take power and manage cities in your hands.
The militia authority and its repressive institutions do not hesitate to kill, wound, arrest, and torture the uprising as long as it exists and has the ability to breathe. Therefore, the only guarantee for achieving safety and tranquillity is the advancement of your united ranks, the expansion of the uprising and revolutionary struggles throughout Kurdistan, the entry of more masses into the ranks of the uprising and the fulfilment of your revolutionary will to take power in your hands on a large scale.
Let us all appeal to the police, peshmerga and armed forces to leave the ranks of power and join the ranks of the uprising.
The uprising masses in Kurdistan and most of the citizens want to overthrow the authority of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and their allies, including their militias, their dual administrations, their parliament, and their repressive apparatus, and they rose up to achieve this goal. The way to achieve this goal is to organize the revolutionary forces of the masses in Kurdistan. However, until these powers are overthrown, and as long as they remain in place, these demands must be imposed upon them immediately:
- The release of all political prisoners throughout Kurdistan.
- Paying salaries without any deductions and overseeing the budget and distribution of the budget and salaries by the representatives elected by workers, employees, and teachers.
- The departure of the authority’s forces from all the cities of Kurdistan and allowing people to protest and participate in the uprising.
- All militia and security forces and any other party armed forces must be dissolved and abolished.
- If power is in the hands of the elected bodies of the masses of workers and employees, the emancipatory youth and their militant organizations in any city, the authorities or any other force should not attack them militarily.
Organization of the Communist Alternative in Iraq, expressing its condolences to all the families, relatives, and friends of those who sacrificed their lives in this uprising, strongly condemns the crimes committed by the oppressive forces of power and holds them responsible for committing these crimes. The killers and those behind these crimes must be revealed and brought to trial.
Organization of the Communist Alternative in Iraq also calls on the uprising masses not to attack any place or buildings of public service institutions, such as administration, education, health, or any other place designated for the public interest, and calls for protection from any attacks. It also calls for the headquarters of the ruling parties to become the headquarters of the uprising authority and city administrations.
We are fighting side by side with the rising masses in Kurdistan for the victory of the uprising.
9 December 2020