Syrian Kurds take part in a rally in the Syrian city of Qamishli in support of the independence referendum on September 25. Delil Souleiman / AFP
Syrian Kurds take part in a rally in the Syrian city of Qamishli in support of the independence referendum on September 25. Delil Souleiman / AFP

From Kirkuk to Catalonia, referendum votes leave much to be desired for those after autonomy



Despite last minute pleas from friends and foes alike, the Kurdistan Regional Government appears set to go ahead with a referendum on independence later this month. In quick succession, the Spanish region of Catalonia will hold a similarly disputed plebiscite on October 1. Could we be facing significant acts to break-up parts of Europe and the Middle East in a matter of days?

Moreover, on the horizon, once again, is the prospect of a Scottish vote to leave the United Kingdom.

The onward march of a nation is a seductive process to behold. At the point of apotheosis, the pitfalls of the leap to sovereignty are not always obvious. Devolution or autonomy has been the handmaiden of the independence demands in all three cases.

The KRG vote is a non-binding referendum slated for September 25. Catalonian officials term their exercise a consultative vote on a republic. And after a 10-point loss in 2014 was trumped by the Brexit referendum to leave the EU last year, Scotland is on notice that another plebiscite is probable.

Kurdish leaders have been clear for more than a decade that the European nations were a model in their own struggle. Weeks before the US-led invasion of Iraq, I sat with Hoshyar Zebari, the leading Kurdish politician, in Erbil as he looked at the forthcoming battle to reshape Iraq.

Balancing a ruler in his hand as he sat at his office desk, Mr Zebari discussed his admiration for Scottish devolution. Even then, he saw developments in Edinburgh as a beacon.

Time has certainly strengthened Mr Zebari’s case. The KRG has proved more cohesive than any other authority in Iraq. It has fulfilled the fundamental task of maintaining order and security for its people. It has proven its adherence to modern and moderate ideas of government.

Add to that the circumstances. There has been ideological switch in Baghdad to sectarian politics and a collapse into Iranian dominance. It's hard to naysay the Kurdish impulse to break away.

The future, it appears, has taken on a logic of its own.

_________________

More from Opinion

_________________

Yet the boundaries are the devils in the process of nationhood. There is little doubt that both votes in the Kurdish region and Catalonia, which is a province of Spain, will return a resounding "yes".

It is not, however, a given that this could lead to independence. Both exercises do not have legal force but seek to leverage the power of democratic legitimacy.

Given the scale of the existing turmoil in the region, an exercise in drawing new borders in the Middle East is fantastically perilous. Divided by language, only one Kurdish community will claim its national rights. There are two million mainly Sunni Arabs who have taken refuge in the KRG. What, ultimately, happens to these people?

In context, the KRG is landlocked. The surrounding states are all hostile to its ambitions. While all are also weakened by their own internal contradictions, they cannot be expected to act as friendly neighbours.

The Kurds like to say Kirkuk is their Jerusalem and that the city has been included in the referendum balloting area. The contest for Jerusalem itself has its own lessons for what could happen next.

Breaking away from a national union is one challenge. The dynamic alters again when there is a regional union layered on top.

________________________

More from Damien McElroy

________________________

Champions of independence in Catalonia, like those in Scotland in 2014, offer the prospect of breaking away from one union, the Kingdom of Spain, by retaining the cushion of seamless ties within the European Union. With a mentality fashioned by centuries of conquest and rebellion, Madrid rejects this as sophistry. Spain’s constitutional court has banned the referendum. The central government is prosecuting the Catalan officials involved in organising the ballot. Postmen have even been threatened with jail for delivering referendum material.

It is not clear that Catalonia could join the EU. Realpolitik says Brussels must admit the region, but the new state must apply and a vengeful Spain would have a veto. Even so, the threat to keep it out seems too far-fetched.

Scotland’s fate is also tied up in a dilemma. Voting to leave the United Kingdom, which Scotland joined by act of parliament in 1701, represented a less radical step before Brexit.

Both states would continue in the same market with no capital, customs or immigration controls. Now, the livelihood question is posed afresh. Edinburgh suffered a brusque rebuff from Whitehall when it demanded that all of Britain stay in the EU single market. By default or choice, Scotland must turn its back on one of the two entities. Which route represents the greater risk?

The fullest measure of a nation’s rights is to become a country. Yet the referendum is an imperfect tool to resolve the underlying conflict between the heart and head.

Follow The National's Opinion section on Twitter

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
The team

Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory 
Videographer: Jear Valasquez 
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory 
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat 
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova 
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi 

 
MWTC info

Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.

England's lowest Test innings

- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887

- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994

- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009

- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948

- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888

- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Klipit%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venkat%20Reddy%2C%20Mohammed%20Al%20Bulooki%2C%20Bilal%20Merchant%2C%20Asif%20Ahmed%2C%20Ovais%20Merchant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Digital%20receipts%2C%20finance%2C%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%244%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%2Fself-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.