Demanding IndependenceThe case of the Kurdistan Region Independence Referendum : Political Party Dynamics and Timing

Résumé

This compilation of various research articles aims to show that timing and a sequence of decisions made during the years 2005-2017 had placed the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on the trajectory towards an independence referendum. This doctoral work dwells on the rivalry and changing balance of power between the two major political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). A process approach is taken that builds upon the intersection of certain processes over time resulting in the Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum, namely, the rivalry between the KDP and PUK, the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad regarding the oil industry, constitutional discrepancies, diplomacy, and the impact of the Islamic State (IS). The conclusions of this research lead to the inference that opportunities presented to the Kurdish political actors in 2017 were not present before the arrival of IS and the independence referendum’s timing was due to the interaction and intersection of decisions made by the KDP and PUK. It is therefore necessary to consider political party dynamics and timing of referenda, in order to understand why they happen during a specific period in time, and what particular events or political decisions become catalysts for the referendum to take place.