Hamdiya Najaf, National Assembly member, speaking at the press briefing: We have based our program on two focuses. One, providing services, particularly housing services. We believe that housing is one of the most important services that should be offered to Iraqi citizens so that a firm relation binds them to this country and gives them a chance to contribute to building their homeland.
The second focus of our program stresses raising [the status of] the oppressed parts of Iraqi society. We believe as well that a person who feels that he or she suffers and is oppressed and that wrongdoings have not been done away with, must be treated differently than a person who has deprived others of their rights. With the help of all Iraqis of good will, we also strive to build Iraq as a state of law, constitutional institutions, protection of rights and freedoms, security and safety, destruction of terrorism in all its forms, implementation of democratic mechanisms and a culture of dialogue, tolerance toward others, and the elimination of sectarianism. Also in our program, we call for the immediate restoration of Iraqi citizenship for all who have been expelled and whose rights have been frozen or neglected. These [rights] should be confirmed in Iraq’s new constitution. Return of the displaced and emigrants should be secured, and all their rights should be fully and unconditionally restored.
Tha’ir al-Fayli, president of the United Fayli Kurdish Alliance: The Fayli Kurdish list reflects the specific position that Fayli Kurds have in Iraqi society, due to their historic ties to all linguistic, ethnic, and religious groups in Iraqi society. They have likewise been tied to all resistance movements that were fighting to overthrow the lousy [Ba’athist] dictatorship. Fayli Kurds have suffered from great injustice and tragedies. They have been rising from mass graves, prisons, and displacement and expulsion campaigns. Unfortunately, they have not seen justice until this very moment. Therefore, in Iraq they can represent a model of demanding rights, the rights of the Iraqi people.
Tha’ir al-Fayli, responding to a question about why the United Fayli Kurdish Alliance has not joined the Kurdistan Coalition list: In fact, we have planted a good seed and our wish and ambition is that this seed be absolutely independent. We have no disputes with the Kurdistan Coalition list, but we want independence for our alliance. We are confident that we will win votes, God willing.
There are very many Arabs who will vote for this alliance, too, and there are independent Fayli Kurds. It is true there are [numerous] candidate lists and the choice is up to Iraqi citizens, who will vote for whom they want. We have built our relations as we have fought within the Kurdish patriotic movement. We have good relations with everybody there. There is mutual support, in fact, and our interests do not clash with anybody. Our orientation is purely patriotic. The Iraqi people have suffered from wrongdoings. We mainly want the wrongdoings to be done away with, and we want to build Iraq. We also want to defend this [Fayli Kurdish] community that has not seen justice yet.
(Translated by Petr Kubalek)