Course Title: Doctor of Philosophy in Government

Thesis Title: Politics of Iraqi Kurdistan: Towards Federalism or Secession

Supervisors: Prof Mark Turner and Dr. Chris Roberts

Abstract

The Kurds are an ancient people descended from the Medes. They are located in West Asia and occupy territory in several contiguous countries. The Iraqi Kurds are in a politically more advantageous position than other Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iran because they have gained autonomous status since 1992. On April 5, 1991, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 688 setting up the Safe Haven for the Kurds in Iraq by the Allies following the second Gulf War, thus acting to prevent the Kurds from facing an uncertain future. The Kurds used this opportunity to elect their first parliament on May 19, 1992 and to establish the Kurdistan Regional Government. This thesis is concerned with the question of ethnic self-determination focusing on the issue of the future of Kurds in Iraq. It will examine whether the formation of an independent Kurdish state is feasible and plausible. This involves enquiry into the political views and activities of the Kurdish people in Iraq and delving into the external and internal factors that will determine whether Iraqi Kurdistan remains an autonomous region within the Iraqi state or makes the transition to become a de jure state. If Iraqi Kurdistan does remain within the Iraqi polity, then it is necessary to delineate whether federalism will be the chosen political system and what this will mean for autonomy. Utilising a historical analysis of Iraqi Kurdistan helps us understand why Kurds have been always attempting to secede, while the examination of the contemporary Kurdish views and actions enables us to understand the current political dynamics.

Short Bio:

Ala Jabar Mohammed is currently doing her PhD in Government at the University of Canberra. She graduated with Master of Diplomatic Studies from the University of Keele in England in 2005. She holds Bachelor of Arts in English language and literature from the University of Sulaimany in Iraqi Kurdistan.

She was a translator in the Ministry of Relations and Cooperation in Kurdistan from 2002 to 2004. She became an assistant lecturer at the University of Sulaimany and the Police Academy of Kurdistan from 2006 to 2007. She was a tutor in Sociology and Identity Politics at the University of Canberra from 2008 to 2009.