The party's situation before the congress
In 1955, Jalal Talabani attended the World Youth Congress in Warsaw, Poland, as a representative of the Democratic Youth Union of Kurdistan and the Iraqi Democratic Youth Organization of the Iraqi Communist Party, and then went to Beijing, China, as a representative of the Democratic Youth Union of Kurdistan (YLDK), to participate in a youth festival. On his way back to the Soviet Union, Jalal Talabani managed to call President Mustafa Barzani twice in Moscow, the capital, and receive advice about his party. Previously, Barzani had been informed of the problems and situation of the party in a letter from Jalal Talabani. In these communications, President Barzani requested an end to the disputes between Hamza Abdullah and Ibrahim Ahmed and wanted to achieve their unity.
At the request of President Mustafa Barzani, several meetings were held between Hamza Abdullah and Ibrahim Ahmed to achieve unity and avoid conflicts. Finally, a statement was issued by the Progressive Front of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Hamza Abdullah, with the aim of dismantling and reinstating him within the ranks of the KDP.
After the return of Hamza Abdullah's wing to the KDP in early 1956, a group of Kurdish Marxists from the Iraqi Communist Party joined the KDP on condition after several negotiations. With the return of Hamza Abdullah's wing and the joining of a group of Kurdish members of the Iraqi Communist Party, the most prominent of whom were Nejad Ahmed Aziz and Xasraw Tawfiq Fahullah, the name of the party was changed from the Kurdistan Democratic Party to the United Democratic Party of Kurdistan and a new leadership was appointed at a meeting of the Central Committee. Of course, these changes were contrary to the party's internal rules and such a decision should have been made at a congress or general conference.
The new central committee consisted of the following people:
1. Ibrahim Ahmed, Secretary General
2. Hamza Abdullah
3. Ali Abdullah
4. Nouri Ahmed Taha
5. Omar Mustafa
6. Jalal Talabani
7. Habib Muhammad Karim
8. Nejad Ahmed Aziz
9. Khosrow Tofiq Fethullah.
Later, the Political School was formed with four members: Ibrahim Ahmed, Omar Mustafa, Hamza Abdullah, and Jalal Talabani.
As a result of this unification, the names of the KDP organs were changed and the KDP organ was published under the name Tekoshin Kurdistan.
After these changes, in 1957, the leadership of the Kurdistan wing of the Iraqi Communist Party, including Salih Heydari, Hamid Osman, and Kemal Fuad, came to the conclusion that all Kurds should unite in one party. For this reason, the Kurdistan Communist Party branch dissolved itself and joined the ranks of the United Democratic Party of Kurdistan-Iraq. The party leadership was changed once again, and Salih Heydari and Hamid Osman were added to the central committee, and the Political School was formed by Ibrahim Ahmed, Salih Heydari, Hamza Abdullah, Hamid Osman, and Jalal Talabani.
After the revolution of July 14, 1958, the Pashayite rule in Iraq ended and the republican system took its place. Thus, the Republic of Iraq entered a new phase and many important changes took place. The Republic of Iraq withdrew from the Baghdad Agreement on March 24, 1959 and from the Anglo-Iraqi Agreement on May 30, 1959. On April 4, 1959, the last British troops withdrew from Iraq and in early June, the Republic of Iraq withdrew from the Sterling pound currency.
The July 14 Revolution and the changes that followed created a favorable environment for underground organizations. The Party began to reorganize the structure of the Public and Professional organizations. At the same time, the return of President Mustafa Barzani and his friends from the Soviet Union on October 6, 1958, had a great impact on the public enthusiasm and their participation in the ranks of the KDP.
The dominance of the communists during the era of Abdulkarim Qasim had also affected the KDP and gradually led the KDP towards division, especially through those Communist Party cadres who had previously joined the ranks of the KDP. The communists' involvement in the KDP and their influence on Hamza Abdullah allowed them to establish their power over the party in a short time.
In the first step, Secretary Ibrahim Ahmadi was dismissed on charges of right-wingness and replaced by Hamza Abdullah as the party secretary, and on the same grounds, political school member Jalal Talabani was dismissed. A secret relationship was established between the Political School and the Communist Party, the KDP became a branch of the Communist Party, this support and sympathy for the Communist Party gradually spread among the party's base and members, many complaints were made to President Mustafa Barzani by the party's organizations and members about this situation, and in order to end the problems, a request was made to hurry up and hold the congress, on the contrary, the Political School always obstructed the congress and tried to postpone it.
Organizing a congress
In order to end the problems and eliminate them, President Mustafa Barzani called for a meeting of the Central Committee of the KDP. On June 30, 1959, the entire Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) met at the home of President Mustafa Barzani in Baghdad without the presence of the party secretary and the political school. After the meeting, the central committee decided to dismiss Hamza Abdullah, the party secretary, Khosrow Tofiq Fethullah, Nejad Ahmed, Salih Rushdi Tahir, Hamid Osman and Salih Heydari. It was also decided to make preparations for the fourth congress of the KDP, for which a preparatory committee was established.
After all the preparations, the congress was held in a peaceful atmosphere from 4 to 7 October 1959, with the presence of 120 delegates, at the house of Kake Ziyad Koye, in the city of Baghdad. New programs and procedures were approved and several decisions were made, the most important of which are:
- The leaders of the rebellion were expelled from the party.
- The KDP was returned to its original national approach and, instead of accepting Marxism, it was transformed to benefit from it.
- The party's name was changed to the Kurdistan Democratic Party - Iraq.
- For the first time, a decision was made to establish a high-level committee for planning and oversight.
President Mustafa Barzani attended the KDP congress for the first time and was elected as the KDP president in his presence. In the end, a new leadership was elected by the congress members, and they were:
1. Mustafa Barzani, President
2. Ibrahim Ahmed, secretary
3. Nouri Shawes
4. Ali Abdullah
5. Omar Mustafa
6. Jalal Beg Shiwani (Jalal Abdulrahman Amin)
7. Ahmed Amed (Ahmed Abdullah Muhammad)
8. Ewni Yusuf
9. Sayyid Aziz Shamzini (Aziz Abdullah Abdulqadir)
10. Nouri Ahmed Taha
11. Dr. Murad Aziz (Murad Rezm Awer)
12. Mullah Mator (Abdullah Ismail Ahmed)
13. Jalal Talabani.
Na'man Isa was also elected as an alternate member of the Central Committee.
The High Committee for Review and Supervision was established for the first time and consisted of 5 people: Shamseddin Mufti, Habib Muhammad Karim, Ali Askari, Yadullah Feyli and Zekiya Ismail Haqi Mirza.
At this congress, Hamza Abdullah, Hamid Osman, Salih Heydari, Nejad Ahmed Aziz Axa, Xesraw Tofiq Fethullah, Hame Karim Fethullah and Salih Rushdi were each expelled from the party along with their supporters.
Source:
- Massoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, 1958-1961, Volume II, (2012).
- Jalal Talabani's letter to Comrade Leader Mustafa Barzani, (30/7/1957), Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, 1931-1958, Volume 1, (Hewlêr, Ministry of Education Press, 2004), Document No. 8.
- Habib Muhammad Karim, History of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan-Iraq (in the period of its leadership 1946 - 1993), (Dohuk - Xebat Press - 1998).
- Ali Abdullah, History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party - Iraq to the Third Congress, (place unknown - 1968).
- Salah Rashid, Mam Celal: A Meeting of Ages from Youth to the Republic Palace, (Sulaymaniyah – Cardo Press – 2017).
- Dr. Sherko Fethullah Omer, The Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Liberation Movement of the Kurdish Nation 1946-1957, published by Siware Qeladizeyî, (Martyr Azad Hewramî Publishing House - 2013).
- History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Congress and Conference (Program and Internal Regulations), Kurdistan Democratic Party Encyclopedia Committee, Volume 1, (Hewlêr - Roxana Press - 2021).
