The First Congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party

The First Congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party or the (Establishment) of Kurdistan Democratic Party – (Kurdish Democratic Party, Iraq – Augest 16th, 1946) was secretly held on the recommendation of General Mustafa Barzani in Baghdad with the presence of 70 representatives of the Kurdish personalities of Southern Kurdistan and the establishment of a new political party in southern Kurdistan has been announced.

The historical background

On September 16، 1943، the Kurdish Revival Group (ZH K) was established in the east of Kurdistan, and then on August 16, 1945, its name was changed to the Democratic Party of Irannian Kurdistan, with the support of the Soviet Union on the 22nd of May 1946, this party was able to establish the Republic of Kurdistan (Mahabad) in the region of eastern Kurdistan under the leadership of Qazi Muhammad. Meanwhile, in southern Kurdistan on the 15th of January 1945 the Freedom Committee was established under the leadership of General Mustafa Barzani.

After the failure of the Second Barzan Revolution in 1945, General Mustafa Barzani، commander-in-chief of the revolution، in consultation with the Freedom Committee and commander of the war fronts, after contacting the Kurdish leaders of Irannian Kurdistan and Soviet officials, decided to withdraw all their forces to Iranian Kurdistan after many wars and collisions. As a result، on October 11, 194, they entered Iranian Kurdistan through the Margawar route. After the announcement of the Republic of Kurdistan in Mahabad, despite the severity of their situation، General Mustafa Barzani's forces joined the republic in full force.

The decision of Establishment

The situation in Irannian Kurdistan has not faltered the minds of the Freedom Committee about the fate of the Kurdish movement in southern Kurdistan، especially the trial of the establishment of the Democratic Party of Irannian Kurdistan and the experiences that have been achieved in the second Revolution of Barzan showed that in this stage it is necessary to establish a party in Kurdistan in Iraq like the Democratic Party of Irannian Kurdistan. Therefore, after investigating and deeply analysing the situation in the region, Mustafa Barzani, along with his friends، officers and members of the Freedom Committee، decided to establish a party in Kurdistan, Iraq, in a way compatible with the wishes and goals of the Kurdish people.

The foundation of the Creation of the Kurdish Democratic Party was established in the first meeting of Mustafa Barzani with each of: Lawyer Hamza Abdullah, Captain Mirhaj Ahmed, Colonel Izzat Abdulaziz, Captain Mustafa Khoshnaw، Captain Khairullah Abdulkarim, Captain Muhammad Mahmud Qudsi and Liutenant Nuri Ahmad Taha. They were later named the founders. In this meeting، the first attempt was made to establish the internal program and procedures of the party.

Because of the sensitive stage that the Republic of Kurdistan was going through, in order not to be endangered by the countries of the region، Mustafa Barzani and his friends decided to transfer the establishment of the party and the activities directly to southern Kurdistan, and for this purpose it was decided that Hamza Abdullah with full authority and with some orders will be sent to southern Kurdistan for the purpose of meeting with the officials of the Shorish Party, Rzgari Party and the Democratic Branch of Sulaymaniyah.

The Recommendations were: 

1. There will be no changes in the Party’s Internal program and procedure. 

2. Sheikh Latif son of Sheikh Mahmoud Hafid to be appointed as the first deputy of the president. 

3. Muhammad Kaka Ziyad to be the second deputy. 

4- In order not to put an excuse into the hands of imperialism, not to interfere with British interests until the Party establishes itself, except that British imperialism is old and it is better that its place to be filled with a national authority, rather than a new imperialism like the United States.

In the late spring of 1946, Hamza Abdullah returned to southern Kurdistan and contacted the parties and well-known personalities. The leadership of both Shorish and Rizgari parties has decided to dissolve and to join the Party ranks under the condition that both parties to hold their special congress and to inform their members about the changes during the congress.

The congress of these two parties was held at the beginning of August 1946 and most of its members has accepted joining the Kurdish Democratic Party، and a little number of the leaders and members of the Shorish Party joined the Iraqi Communist Party.

Also previously on the subject of entering the new party,  Rizgari Party met with the southern branch of the Kurdistan Kurdish relive group، and as a result of these conversations, a number of relive group entered into the ranks of Rizgari Party and Ibrahim Ahmed has asked for time for the purpose of responding.

The Establishment

At the beginning of August 1946، the Shorish Party and the Rzgari Party hold their Congress to dissolve their own parties and decided to join the Party. After the completion of the preparations, the New Party secretly held its first congress on August 16, 1946, at Saeed Fahim's house in Baghdad، attended by 70 delegates. In this congress, most of the leadership members of the Shorish Party, the whole leadership of Rizgari party except (Salih Haydari and Nafie Yunus), Hamza Abdullah، the representative of Mustafa Barzani، Mahmoud Ahmad، the representative of Sheikh Latif، Kika Hama Ziad، and Ibrahim Ahmed، the representatives of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran، the Sulaymaniyah branch، participated.

The Congress successfully fullfiled the work and the tasks of the Congress and the members of the Congress approved the text of the program and procedures developed by the founding committee in Mahabad after a slightly evaluation with modification. The new party was named "Kurdish Democratic Party". Mustafa Barzani was elected the president of the Kurdish Democratic Party by the representatives of the congress, by the pre-recommendation of Mustafa Barzani they appointed each of Sheikh Latifi son of Sheikh Mahmoud Hafid was appointed as the first deputy and Kaka Ziad as the second deputy of the president of the party. Also، the Rzgari newspaper، which was the language of the Kurdish Liberation Party، became the language of the Kurdish Democratic Party because of its role in the people، and all the equipment of both the Revolutionary and Rzgary parties was handed over to the newly elected leadership and decided to be the party's leadership center in Baghdad.

After the choosing of the party's name, the selection of the president and its deputies, 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, the president 

2. Sheikh Latif Sheikh Mahmoud Hafid، the first deputy of the president 

3. Kaka Hama Ziyad of Koya, the second deputy 

4. Hamza Abdullah, the secretary 

5. Mirhaj Ahmad Akrayi, a member 

6. Dr. Jafaar Muhammad Karim, a member 

7. Ali Abdullah Amin, a member 

8. Sayda Salih Yusufee. 

9. Abdulkarim Tofiq, a member 

10-Rashid Abdulqasir, a member

1. Rashid Bajalan, a member

2. Mala Said Hakim Khanaqini, a member 

3. Awni Yusif Ahmed, a member

4. Taha Muhyialdeen Maroof, a member.

5.  Abdulalam Banna a standby member.

Then by the members of the central committee members of the new political bureau were elected which consisted of: Hamza Abdullah, Dr. Jafaar Muhammad Karim, Ali Abdullah, Abdulkarim Tofiq and Rashid Abdulkadir.

The elected political bureau of the Party began to distribute its task and duties and decided that the majority of the members of the political party should reside in Baghdad and have their headquarters in the city, and a strong relationship was established between the political bureau and President Mustafa Barzani in Mahabad.

Sources:

• مسعود بارزانی، بارزانی و بزووتنه‌وه‌ی رزگاریخوازی كورد ١٩٣١-١٩٥٨، به‌رگی یه‌كه‌م، (هه‌ولێر ـ چاپخانه‌ی وه‌زاره‌تی په‌روه‌رده‌ ـ ٢٠٠٤ز).

• مێژووی پارتی دیموكراتی كوردستان، كۆنگره‌ و كۆنفرانس (پرۆگرام و په‌یڕه‌وی ناوخۆ)، ده‌سته‌ی ئینسكلۆپیدیای پارتی دیموكراتی كوردستان، به‌رگی یه‌كه‌م، (هه‌ولێر- چاپخانه‌ی رۆكسانا- ٢٠٢١).

• حبیب محمد كریم، تأریخ الحزب الدیمقراطي الكوردستاني ـ العراق (في محطات رئیسیة) ١٩٤٦ ـ ١٩٩٣، (دهوك ـ مطبعة خه‌بات ـ ١٩٩٨م).

• علی عبدالله‌، مێژووی پارتی دیموكراتی كوردستان - عێراق تا به‌ستنی كۆنگره‌ی سێ یه‌می، (شوێن نادیار ـ ١٩٦٨ز).

• نوري شاویس، من مذكراتي، (بدون مكان ـ منشورات حزب الشعب الدیمقراطي الكردستاني ـ ١٩٨٥م).

• محه‌مه‌د مه‌لا قادر، خه‌باتنامه‌، (هه‌ولێر ­_ ده‌زگای چاپ و بڵاوكردنه‌وه‌ی ئاراس _ ٢٠٠٧).

• مسعود البارزاني، البارزاني والحركة التحرریة الكردیة- ثورة البارزان ١٩٤٥-١٩٥٨، (كردستان- كانون الاول ١٩٨٧).