By NASIR PÎROTÎ

Since their 2006 split, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and its breakaway Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) have been discussing reunification for the past several years. Mustafa Hejri, leader of the KDPI, told Rudaw in an interview that the process continues and the two sides are growing closer. He warned that the whole process cannot be publicized for fear the Iranian government will try to sabotage the process as a way of ensuring the Kurdish parties remain divided and weak. Here is an edited transcript of his comments:

Rudaw: Where is process of reunification between the two parties?

Mustafa Hejri: Talks about this issue continue between us and the leadership of both parties is expected to meet in the future with the participation of secretaries of both sides.

Rudaw: The split took place during your leadership; do you hope for unification to take place under your leadership as well?

In our meetings with our friends and the leaders of our party we emphasized keeping the details of the process hidden until it reaches its final stages.

Mustafa Hejri: Yes, there is such a hope. The split has bothered me as an official, as it did most people. A unification built on sound foundations that would prevent future division is my hope.

Rudaw: Do you fear the possibility that the Iranian government might create obstacles for this process of unification?

Mustafa Hejri: In our meetings with our friends and the leaders of our party we emphasized keeping the details of the process hidden until it reaches its final stages. It is better not to talk about the details in the media.

We do not like secrecy and are not trying to hide things from people. But it is best for the process to be kept behind closed doors so that Iran will not benefit from the information.

Rudaw: Do you get help from the other Kurdish parties in this process?

Mustafa Hejri: Since our split, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have tried to unify us again. But it did not happen, unfortunately. But now, now even we do ourselves believe that we have to reunite.

Rudaw: After your parties split, some differences emerged between the two democratic parties. Will that constitute a problem for you after reunification?

Mustafa Hejri: When we reunite, hopefully, we will address our differences and discuss it between us. It is important to know that after 35 years it has become clear to everyone that the government of Iran does not value the rights of the Kurds and the other nations, nor is it willing to reach an agreement with them. After Hassan Rouhani became the president of Iran, and despite the fact that he made some promises, nothing really happened. The Iranians do not recognize the Kurdish nation officially, and there are no signs that the Kurdish issue will be peacefully resolved in Iran.

Rudaw: Have your talks with the Iranian government created any disagreements between you and the Democratic Party of Kurdistan?

Mustafa Hejri: We have had many talks with our former comrades, but we have never discussed this issue.

Rudaw: The Komala party has suggested to you and some other Kurdish parties of Iran to hold a national congress for Iranian Kurdistan. Do you see this as a positive step?

Mustafa Hejri: We have tried hard for the success of the national congress; we did the same for the congress of Iranian Kurdistan. But reality is different from wishes and desires and we as a political party have to know these differences.

The divisions within Komala and the split of the democrat parties have become obstacles before us and we are still struggling with them.

In fact, politically and taking into account the state of the Kurdish opposition forces of Iran, I do not find a congress for Iranian Kurdistan to be practical.

Rudaw: Your slogan for the 14th congress, which was more than six years ago, was to take the struggle to the people. Have you achieved this goal?

It is important to know that after 35 years it has become clear to everyone that the government of Iran does not value the rights of the Kurds and the other nations, nor is it willing to reach an agreement with them.

Mustafa Hejri: Despite the security situation in Iranian Kurdistan and the pressure on the Kurdish activists, the struggle was still popularized to some degree. Many civil society NGOs have been formed and the people are using every opportunity to express their discontent. Just recently the protesters in Urumiyeh have shut down their shops and working places in support for the political prisoners.

Rudaw: But it is said that you do not have good relations with civil activists in Iranian Kurdistan?

Mustafa Hejri: We have to first define political and civil activists. According to us, local Kurdish political activists are the people who use every single opportunity to express the demands and the requests of the Kurdish nation and work to achieve them. We support them as well and want to support them and make them stronger. We believe that the struggle of the civil activists in Iranian Kurdistan is complementary to the Kurdish political parties, but this support is not open because otherwise they will be subjected to pressure by the Iranian security. In addition, there are also some people who claim to be political activists and appear amidst elections and want to polish the face of the Iranian regime and show it as a democratic government, and they work for their own personal interests and spread propaganda for the Iranian government. We do not recognize those as political activists.

Rudaw: Ali Yunesi, the assistant of the Iranian president for the affairs of religious and minority groups, has recently met with a group of Kurdish political activists. What will be the result of these meetings?

Mustafa Hejri: Iran wants to manipulate this opportunity to show that its government is trying to solve the Kurdish issues peacefully. What is more important is the fact that parliamentary elections will be held next year, and they want to make people forget the promises that they made and pretend that they are still trying to fulfill those promises. They want to attract people to the voting boxes and I see these meeting within the context of election propaganda.

Rudaw: Do you have any plans to influence the parliamentary elections in Iran?

Mustafa Hejri: We have discussed this in the latest leadership meetings of our party. We are evaluating the situation and have not decided how to deal with it yet.

Rudaw: Do you support forming the Kurdish bloc into the Iranian parliament again?

Mustafa Hejri: Yes, we support it. It is good to hear about the Kurdish issues in the parliament or anywhere else.

Rudaw: Is the Kurdish movement in Iranian Kurdistan progressing or regressing?

Mustafa Hejri: Despite all the increasing pressures, it is still progressing more than ever.

Rudaw: Do you see the possibly of a popular uprising in Iran due to economic problems?

Mustafa Hejri: Yes, there is such a possibility.

People are discontent and we should not believe that people will continue accepting the status quo. I believe a time will come where the people cannot live like this anymore and will be ready to lose their lives in order to achieve freedom.

Rudaw