Salar wahid – Activist
Corruption has become more widespread in underdeveloped societies and dictatorships, particularly in states that suffer from political instability and social incoherence due to ethnic and religious divisions. It is also prevalent in societies transitioning toward democracy. The proliferation of corruption in the Kurdistan Region and its noticeable infiltration across all levels of authority—especially political and institutional corruption—has deep legal, political, economic, and social roots.
What is concerning is that this issue has transcended into a systemic and ingrained phenomenon within society, to the extent that personal enrichment at the expense of the public interest has become one of the clear indicators of abuse of power. This includes the monopolization of opportunities by a significant portion of officials from administrative, operational, and financial institutions—whether appointed or elected—across all governing bodies.
The Kurdistan Region is currently navigating a difficult and complex phase from which it is unlikely to emerge unscathed. On one hand, it is entangled in a web of political, economic, social, and constitutional crises stemming from deep-rooted mismanagement and the ongoing dual-administration system—especially in terms of finances, military, and internal security forces. Moreover, the spread of corruption within legislative, executive, and judicial institutions, coupled with the existence of numerous oversight and investigative bodies that are ineffective and fail to fulfill their duties professionally, independently, and competently, has only exacerbated the situation. Many of these institutions have abandoned their responsibilities.
On the other hand, the Kurdistan Region faces increasing isolation regionally and internationally, as its role within the federal government of Iraq—as a central decision-making body—continues to diminish. This coincides with the emergence of several fragmented opposition parties that engage in electoral politics by capitalizing on the discontent of a socially unaware and backward society.
Historically, corruption has been a major factor in the collapse of many civilizations, empires, and great states. It is a destructive affliction described as the “claw of modern times.” If it is not addressed at its early stages—curbed from the top down and met with resistance—it will aggressively spread into all sectors of society. Eventually, the only solution to address the resulting oppression may lie in a change of political power. If not resolved at this critical juncture, and corruption continues to grow while problems worsen, the ultimate outcome may be the dismantling of the state, collapse of its political structure, and the need for a fundamental reconstruction based on a new model.
The political structure of the Kurdistan Region is at a defining crossroads. Financial and administrative corruption—especially organized political corruption—is particularly prevalent in the oil and gas sectors, which are regarded as the most complex and opaque corruption dossiers. In addition, issues persist in relation to customs revenues, border incomes, and domestic revenues. Furthermore, corruption in the investment sector has become a primary source of widespread graft, leading to the emergence of corrupt networks and the paralysis of the institutional and operational framework of the Kurdistan Regional Government. This has negatively impacted human rights and freedoms in the region and contributed to social injustice, a breakdown of trust between citizens and the political authority, and a weakening of national identity.
If the Kurdistan Region continues on its current trajectory without a genuine will to combat corruption from the highest levels of power down, and if no reforms are enacted across political, economic, and social domains, then the continued rise of corruption will threaten the democratic process, curtail rights and freedoms, restrict the roles of civil society and media organizations, squander public resources, increase government debt, and fail to ensure equitable distribution of national revenues. Moreover, misgovernance, ethnic discrimination, rising unemployment, and widespread poverty will further destabilize the region.
Many internal and international predictions, perspectives, and studies point toward the failure of the governance model in the Kurdistan Region and the absence of an effective and accountable authority. They highlight the potential disintegration of the Region’s political structure.
