Iraq witnessed major political transformations in the year 2003. After the invasion by the coalition forces, the dictatorial regime in Iraq collapsed and was replaced by the democratic federal authority that the Iraqi people had been struggling for for decades.
The Kurdistan Region and the Kurdish people in particular had a major role in these changes that Iraq witnessed, and it had the right to be the first beneficiary of these changes, by enshrining all its national rights in the new Iraqi constitution, through the efforts of the Kurdish political leadership and Kurdistan Democratic Party, which are rights stipulated in the new Iraqi constitution. The Kurdistan Region transitioned from a closed and besieged region to a democratic federal region open to the world, and later became a safe haven for all democrats, not only in Iraq, but in the entire region.
The rapid changes after the liberation of Iraq encouraged all political and mass Parties and organizations to adopt a new cover and move quickly with the changes, including Kurdistan Democratic Party and its mass organizations. Immediately after the independence of Iraq, i.e., after the spring of the year 2003, the Kurdistan Students Union hastened to establish bases and Headquarters for itself in most Iraqi cities, especially in Baghdad and the areas of the Article 140 border and to prepare for holding a new Congress. After a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Kurdistan Students Union, it was decided to hold the Eleventh Congress of the organization as soon as possible, and for this purpose, the Preparatory Committee was formed. After completing the preparations and the arrival of the Congress Delegates, it was decided to hold the Congress for the first time in the city of Duhok(1).
Congress administration:
The Congress began its proceedings during the period from July 30 to August 4, 2004, in the hall of the College of Agriculture at the University of Duhok, and with the attendance of 386 Delegates from all organizations, under the slogan (Science, Freedom, Development)(2). The Congress began with the attendance of Ali Sinjari, representing President Barzani, and Ribar Yalda the official responsible for the Central Office of Professional Organizations of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and for the first time, Delegates from Baghdad and Khanaqin attended the Congress(3).
Several committees were formed on the first day of the Congress, after which the new body of the Executive Committee was elected via voting as follows:
1- Sarhang Zahir
2- Hoshmand Rifat
3- Sidqi Mahmoud
4- Zeravan Hussein
5- Dilshad Shaban
6 - Anas Ayoub
7- Muaz Abdullah
8- Mushir Mohammed
9- Karzan Sadr al-Din
10- Imad Ali
11- Rahil Hassan Sabri
12- Hemin Bajalan
13- Jaafar....
14- Tahir Mohammed Ahmed
15- Sarwa Saleh Mustafa
16- Kawa Rasul Mohammed (4)
After electing the members of the Executive Committee and preparing and approving the committee reports, the elections began to appoint the Secretary and members of the Secretariat on August 1, where the new Secretariat was elected as follows:
1- Barvan Hamdi - Secretary
2- Lavand Osman - Member of the Secretariat Office
3- Kurdo Ihsan - Member of the Secretariat Office
4- Aryan Salah al-Din Asaad - Member of the Secretariat Office
5- Rinas Jano Mohammed, known as Rinas Bamarni - Member of the Secretariat Office
6- Nafsar Nouri - Member of the Secretariat Office
7- Fakhr al-Din Mahdi Jirjis - Member of the Secretariat Office
8- Shirwan Hito - Member of the Secretariat Office
9- Awat Karokh - Member of the Secretariat Office
10- Hemin Rashid Zidan, known as Hemin Bajalan, Member of the Secretariat Office
11- Mardan Khadr - Member of the Secretariat Office
12- Khamlan Mohammed Saleh - Member of the Secretariat Office
13- Sangar Kanbi Hama Saleh, known as Sangar Kanbi Gawra, Member of the Secretariat Office
14- Yassin Saleh - Reserve Member of the Secretariat Office (4).
The structure of the Kurdistan Students Union consists of 16 branches: Erbil, Salahaddin University, Soran University, Duhok University, Mosul, Akre branch, Zakho, Kirkuk University, Garmian, Sulaymaniyah, Sulaymaniyah University, Halabja, Raparin, Soran, Kirkuk, and the Baghdad branch(6).
Sources and footnotes
1- Irfan Aziz Aziz, Congresses and Conferences of the Kurdistan Students Union, First Edition, (Erbil - Rojhalat Printing House - 2012), p. 174.
2- Final Statement of the Eleventh Congress (K.S.U.), Rwanin Newspaper, Kurdistan Students Union, Issue 11, Erbil, October 11, 2004 AD, p. 2.
3- Musa Ahmed, With the participation of 370 representatives, today the Eleventh Congress of the Kurdistan Students Union begins, Khabat Newspaper, organ of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Issue 1517, Erbil, Monday, August 2, 2004 AD, p. 3.
4- Irfan Aziz Aziz, previous source, p. 176.
5- Sirwan Osman, A Shining History and an Uninterrupted Caravan, (Erbil - Ministry of Culture Printing House - 2014), p. 50.
6- Irfan Aziz Aziz, previous source, pp. 176, 178.