Iraqi Kurds vote in independence referendum
Polls open in northern Iraq as Kurds cast ballots in referendum on whether to support independence from Baghdad.
People in Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan are voting in an independence referendum, amid rising tensions and international opposition.
Polls opened at 05:00 GMT with balloting also taking place in the disputed areas between the northern city of Erbil and the capital Baghdad, as well as the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, which is ethnically mixed.
The central government in Baghdad, which strongly opposes the referendum, sought control of the region's international border posts and airports on Sunday, in anticipation of Monday's vote.
Iraq's government has also called on foreign countries to stop importing oil from the Kurdish region and to deal with them instead.
In a televised address on Sunday, Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned of the dire consequences of the vote and vowed to never accept the disintegration of Iraq.
"This is an unconstitutional decision against the social fabric of our citizens. We will not recognise the referendum, nor its results," Abadi said.
"We will take follow-up steps to protect the unity of the country and the interests of every citizen living in a unified Iraq."
Meanwhile, the President of Iraq's Kurdish regional government, Masoud Barzani, has defended the decision to hold the referendum.
"Is it a crime to ask people in Kurdistan to express in a democratic way what they want to have for the future?" he asked in a speech on Sunday.
The Kurdish leader also said he would seek talks with Iraq's central government on how to implement the outcome of the vote.
"If we have a constructive dialogue, then we can give it even more time, in order to secure better relations between the Kurds and Baghdad," he said.
About 2,065 polling stations are open for 10 hours. A total of 5.6 million people are eligible to vote in Kurdistan and other Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Iraq, according to the election commission.
Voters will be asked: "Do you want the Kurdistan region and Kurdish areas outside the region to become an independent state?"
Official results are expected by Tuesday.
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from the Kurdish capital of Erbil, said despite the "tug of war" between the politicians, there is "an upbeat atmosphere".
"The Kurds say that this is their time to express their opinion and to take their future into their own hands," she said.
| Meanwhile, the President of Iraq's Kurdish regional government, Masoud Barzani, has defended the decision to hold the referendum.
"Is it a crime to ask people in Kurdistan to express in a democratic way what they want to have for the future?" he asked in a speech on Sunday.
The Kurdish leader also said he would seek talks with Iraq's central government on how to implement the outcome of the vote.
"If we have a constructive dialogue, then we can give it even more time, in order to secure better relations between the Kurds and Baghdad," he said.
About 2,065 polling stations are open for 10 hours. A total of 5.6 million people are eligible to vote in Kurdistan and other Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Iraq, according to the election commission.
Voters will be asked: "Do you want the Kurdistan region and Kurdish areas outside the region to become an independent state?"
Official results are expected by Tuesday.
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from the Kurdish capital of Erbil, said despite the "tug of war" between the politicians, there is "an upbeat atmosphere".
"The Kurds say that this is their time to express their opinion and to take their future into their own hands," she said.
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Opposition to vote
The Kurds are likely to approve the referendum, but the non-binding vote is not expected to result in any formal declaration of independence.
The referendum has raised alarm in Iraq's neighbours - Turkey, Iran and Syria - over concerns it could encourage their own Kurdish minorities to break away.
Iran halted flights to airports in Iraqi Kurdistan at the request of the central government in Baghdad on Sunday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
Turkey has warned it may impose sanctions on Kurdistan over the plebiscite.
The United States and the United Nations have also condemned the referendum.
The UN has warned of the vote's "potentially destabilising effect," while the US has said it could fuel regional unrest and distract attention from ongoing campaigns to rout Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
My Write-Up:
Audience:
I think that this article was written for for the Western world, to inform them on the situation in the East, because the author mentions things that the people of the East would already know, like the government's opinion on the referendum and the name of the Iraqi Prime Minister. I also think that it is written for a fairly educated crowd due to some fairly big words and the fact that, as a rule, it is educated people who tend to keep up with foreign politics. I also think that it is written for the age group of roughly 25-60, since this is the age group most likely to take an interest in the outside world.
Author's Bias:
The Author's name is not given, but whoever they are, they seem to not have a very strong opinion on the matter as they represent both sides fairly equally. On balance, I would say that they air slightly on the side of the Kurds remaining in Baghdad since they end the article on that note. In addition, some emotional language is used such as "dire consequences of the vote" and "disintegration of Iraq."
Publisher's Bias:
Al Jazeera is famous for representing both sides of the story fairly, which they do here. However, on the whole I got the impression that the article was more in favor of the Kurds staying in Baghdad. One possible reason for Al Jazeera taking this stance is that as an agency based in Qatar, which has seen its fair share of danger and violence, it sees the importance of safety and not taking risks which could lead to unnecessary deaths. Another reason could be wanting to stay on the right side of the UN and the US which have both condemned the referendum.
My Bias:
As I read this article, my own bias towards the East emerged as I wondered whether or not the outcome of the vote would really be honored by the government. In a real democracy, it would have to be but it this situation I was skeptical. These thoughts showed my negative bias towards the governments in the Middle East and my lack of confidence in them.
Purpose:
I think that the primary purpose of this article was merely to inform the West of the situation in the East and to prepare them for the possibility of a radical and violent outcome.
Jazeera, Al. “Iraqi Kurds Vote in Independence Referendum.” News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 25 Sept. 2017, www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/iraqi-kurds-vote-independence-referendum-170925032733525.html.
The Kurds are likely to approve the referendum, but the non-binding vote is not expected to result in any formal declaration of independence.
The referendum has raised alarm in Iraq's neighbours - Turkey, Iran and Syria - over concerns it could encourage their own Kurdish minorities to break away.
Iran halted flights to airports in Iraqi Kurdistan at the request of the central government in Baghdad on Sunday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
Turkey has warned it may impose sanctions on Kurdistan over the plebiscite.
The United States and the United Nations have also condemned the referendum.
The UN has warned of the vote's "potentially destabilising effect," while the US has said it could fuel regional unrest and distract attention from ongoing campaigns to rout Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
My Write-Up:
Audience:
I think that this article was written for for the Western world, to inform them on the situation in the East, because the author mentions things that the people of the East would already know, like the government's opinion on the referendum and the name of the Iraqi Prime Minister. I also think that it is written for a fairly educated crowd due to some fairly big words and the fact that, as a rule, it is educated people who tend to keep up with foreign politics. I also think that it is written for the age group of roughly 25-60, since this is the age group most likely to take an interest in the outside world.
Author's Bias:
The Author's name is not given, but whoever they are, they seem to not have a very strong opinion on the matter as they represent both sides fairly equally. On balance, I would say that they air slightly on the side of the Kurds remaining in Baghdad since they end the article on that note. In addition, some emotional language is used such as "dire consequences of the vote" and "disintegration of Iraq."
Publisher's Bias:
Al Jazeera is famous for representing both sides of the story fairly, which they do here. However, on the whole I got the impression that the article was more in favor of the Kurds staying in Baghdad. One possible reason for Al Jazeera taking this stance is that as an agency based in Qatar, which has seen its fair share of danger and violence, it sees the importance of safety and not taking risks which could lead to unnecessary deaths. Another reason could be wanting to stay on the right side of the UN and the US which have both condemned the referendum.
My Bias:
As I read this article, my own bias towards the East emerged as I wondered whether or not the outcome of the vote would really be honored by the government. In a real democracy, it would have to be but it this situation I was skeptical. These thoughts showed my negative bias towards the governments in the Middle East and my lack of confidence in them.
Purpose:
I think that the primary purpose of this article was merely to inform the West of the situation in the East and to prepare them for the possibility of a radical and violent outcome.
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