In 1979, after the uprising of the peoples of Iran, the monarchy in that country collapsed and the Islamic Republic took its place. The leadership of the KDP was able to establish good relations with the new regime of Iran. Among the most influential events was the passing of President Mustafa Barzani at the beginning of March 1979 and the return of his body to the city of Shino in East Kurdistan on March 4 of the same year.
The situation of regional changes in general and the death of President Mustafa Barzani had left the KDP organizations with the need for the party to hold a congress. For this reason, the interim leadership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) organized a broad meeting in early July 1979 in the village of Shawane in the city of Shino in East Kurdistan. Also, several important decisions were made in the meeting, including Masoud Barzani was elected as the interim president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) until the ninth congress, the acceleration of holding the congress in 1979, and the formation of a preparatory committee for the congress.
Holding the congressAfter their appointment in the Shawane meeting, the preparatory committee began preparations for the congress. In addition to this committee, several other preparatory committees were formed by the branches, which consisted of their members. Within three months, preparations were completed and the members of the congress were elected. The ninth congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was held under the slogan (Kurdistan or death – The authority of the progressive democratic alliance in Iraq and True Autonomy for Kurdistan) from November 10 to 14, 1979, with the presence of 325 members, first in the village of Derbend and then at the Zewe camp for refugees from South Kurdistan west of Urmia, in East Kurdistan. The congress began with the reading of a report by President Masoud Barzani and then the Iraqi Communist Party and several other parties present at the congress gave speeches.
Also, at the beginning of the congress, some members of the interim leadership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Sami Abdulrahman withdrew from the congress after several of their demands were not met. One of those demands was that the names of the members of the interim leadership should not be put to a vote and that they should directly become members of the Central Committee, but this proposal was rejected by the congress and caused the separation of some members of the interim leadership; they later founded the Kurdistan People's Democratic Party.
The departure of some members of the interim leadership did not weaken the congress and the members continued the work of the congress. President Masoud Barzani was unanimously elected as the president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), then the members of the congress designated the new Central Committee of the party, which consisted of these people:
1. Ali Abdullah
3. Nuri Shaways
4. Fazel Mirani
6. Rashid Arif Atroshi
7. Mohammed Mela Qadir
8. Khurshid Salim Shere
9. Dr. Jerjis Hassan
10. Dr. Roj Nuri Shaways
11. Rayis Abdullah Barwari
12. Mulazim Ali
13. Yunus Rojbayani
14. Mulazim Hajar Sindi
15. Hamid Barwari
16. Dr. Mohammed Salih Juma
17. Azad Barwari
18. Najmaddin Yusfi
19. Hoshyar Zebari
20. Dr. Mohammed Saeed Doski
21. Dr. Saeed Barzani.
The alternate members of the Central Committee were:
2. Hamid Effendi
5. Dr. Kamal Kirkuki.
The congress authorized the Central Committee to form investigation committees to investigate complaints and determine the status of the secretary and members of the Political Bureau and the Central Committee who had separated from the KDP.
After the congress, the first regular meeting of the Central Committee was held under the supervision of President Masoud Barzani at the refugee camp in Zewe and lasted for 3 days, and the Political Bureau of the party was formed, which consisted of Ali Abdullah - secretary, Idris Barzani, Fazel Mirani, Falakaddin Kakayi, Dr. Mohammed Salih Juma, Rayis Abdullah Barwari, and Nuri Shaways.
One of the decisions of the congress was the expulsion of the former members of the Central Committee who had separated from the party, except for Salih Yusfi, who had returned to Iraq with the consent of President Mustafa Barzani.
Source:- Mohammed Mela Qadir, Xebatname, Brief History of the KDP and the Immortal Barzani, Third Edition, (Erbil - Aras Printing House - 2012).
- History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Congresses and Conferences (Program and Internal Regulations), Kurdistan Democratic Party Encyclopedia Committee, Volume 1, (Erbil - Roxana Printing House - 2021).
- Salah Al-Khirsan, Political Movements in Iraqi Kurdistan, A Reading in the Files of Kurdish Movements and Parties in Iraq 1946-2001, (Beirut - Al-Balagh Printing House - 2001).
- Habib Mohammed Karim, History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iraq (in major milestones 1946 - 1993), (Duhok - Xebat Printing House - 1998).
- Mohsin Dizayi, The Station of My Life, Part 3 and Final, (Erbil - Mukriyani Printing House - 2015).
- Kayhan Newspaper, Issue 10751, Tehran, July 16, 1358 SH, July 7, 1979 AD.
- Bamdad Newspaper, Issue 53, Tehran, July 17, 1358 SH, July 8, 1979 AD.
- The Central Committee and Political Bureau in the Ninth Congress 1979, Xebat Newspaper, Official Organ of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Issue 794, Erbil, August 12, 1996.
- Political, Military and Organizational Report of the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Comrade Masoud Barzani to the Ninth Congress of our party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which was held between (November 4-11, 1979).