Brief Analysis
Iraqi Kurdistan s Komal party faces a difficult dilemma as it seeks a more reformist direction.
On February 18, The Kurdistan Islamic Group, or Komal, the largest of several Islamist political parties in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq (KRI), removed the word “Islamic” from its name and replaced it with “Justice”. In addition, the party decided to change the title of the party leader from “emir” to “president” and selected four women to serve on the 22-seat Party Presidency Council.
This series of reformist changes in Komal the KRI’s fifth largest party overall might not seem highly consequential for Iraqi politics, but they represent a significant question for the KRI’s Islamist parties. As a result, the reforms are facing serious challenges from both inside and outside the party. If Komal continues to pursue a new reformist direction, it may have to choose whether to remain in league with other Islamist parties in the KRI or attempt to join secu