halmat dhahir Activists
Corruption is not a recent phenomenon—it is an ancient and persistent affliction that emerged alongside the birth of human civilization. It is not confined to a particular society or state, and its scale varies between countries and even within different regions of the same nation. Its forms shift across time and place, making the task of confronting and eradicating it both complex and multifaceted.
Corruption tends to flourish most in underdeveloped societies and authoritarian regimes. It is particularly rampant in states that suffer from political instability, social fragmentation, and structural inequality—whether along ethnic, sectarian, or economic lines. It is equally endemic in transitional societies struggling to move toward democratic governance.
In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the prevalence of corruption has reached deeply concerning levels. It has infected virtually every sector of governance, most notably political corruption—manifested in systemic legal, political, economic, and social dysfunction.
What is alarming is that corruption in the Kurdistan Region has evolved from an individual crime into a systemic and normalized culture. It has become ingrained within public administration, allowing a privileged class of appointed and elected officials to enrich themselves at the expense of the public good. This reality underscores the extent to which the state has failed to provide equitable opportunity and to safeguard institutional integrity.
The Kurdistan Region currently faces a deep and multifaceted crisis. On one front, it is grappling with chronic political, economic, social, and constitutional instability—largely due to failed governance, the persistence of dual administrations (particularly with regard to financial and security affairs), and the breakdown of legal enforcement and judicial accountability. Oversight institutions have proliferated in name, but many remain ineffective, politicized, or co-opted—unable to fulfill their mandates independently or professionally.
Moreover, the Region has become increasingly isolated on both the national and international stage. Its diminishing role in Iraq’s federal system, combined with the weakening of its strategic partnerships, reflects a significant retreat from relevance. Meanwhile, a fragmented and opportunistic opposition—more focused on electoral gains than structural reform—has emerged within a passive and politically fatigued society.
Historically, corruption has been a key driver behind the decline of many civilizations, empires, and great states. It is a corrosive force—a silent killer of institutions. If left unchecked in its early stages, it metastasizes through every layer of society. Over time, its normalization renders resistance nearly impossible without a complete restructuring of the political system.
If bold and effective measures are not taken to counteract corruption now, and if its perpetrators continue to operate with impunity, the region risks a complete collapse—not just of governance, but of state legitimacy itself. The ultimate remedy, in such a scenario, lies not in superficial reform but in the replacement of the ruling political class and the reconstruction of a new political order grounded in transparency, rule of law, and democratic accountability.
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