Karzan: Excuse me wait a minute, we are press, we are from the media.
A. Soldier: You must turn the camera off.
A. Soldier: Shut your camera off
Karzan sot: I need to shut the camera off?
A. Soldier: Yes you do.
Karzan: It is the night of the election, tomorrow is the big day. One of the most important days in the history of Iraq. And I can understand why the Americans are so worried.I am most scared on this trip, but I am also coming to very close to the end off it. So lets hope it is going to go well.
KARZAN VO: This year has been particularly hard for my people, the Kurds. Two weeks ago, I returned from my adopted home of Britain to Kirkuk, where I was born, to witness the Iraq general elections. I was there to see how my people, the Kurds, would vote. But I was also there to do my own poll. I took a ballot box with the intention of asking all the different ethnic groups in Kirkuk whether they wanted Iraq to remain as one country, or if they wanted an Iraq divided into three the Shiites in the south, the Sunnis in the center and the Kurds to the north. For me I want Iraq divided into three and an independent Kurdistan. But I also believe in the principals of democracy, and so wanted to see what a poll would reveal.
Josie sot: He is wanting to Jo to cam: share really, I think with the outside world the real life there, basically.
KARZAN VO:I am worried that my vote is contributing to the formation of a government which will lead the country to a devastating civil war.
Karzan to cam: I am in Turkey, and I am traveling towards the border with Iraq. I am traveling by night because I feel safer that way. This is the part of the journey I most dislike. Mainly because I have to go across a border within my own country. Hopefully the day will come when I can fly direct from Europe, from London to Kurdistan.
KARZAN VOMy Nephew Chalak picked me up at the border.
K. to cam: Well, here we are again, Chalak with his pistol.
Chalak: - Kirkuk has become much more dangerous.Chalak sot: - You must have five armed family members...Chalak sot: - guard you at all times.
K. sot: I cant believe it because first I came here in January and he had a pistol, and I was already thinking this is too much to go around with a pistol on you. And now I have an army around me.
Karzan: - is everyone in Kirkuk armed?
Guards: - Yes, yes
KARZAN VO:Kirkuk to me seemed a city under siege. Everyday the roads are blocked to allow the American forces and city officials to travel within the city. It is a hard place to find ones feet. To do so I thought I would meet with the Mayor of Kirkuk, Mustafa Abdulrahman.
Mayor: - Kirkuk is a microcosm of Iraq.Mayor: - If it blows up here it will blow up all across Iraq. - Many people are against a new Iraq. Its not easy to create a new democratic country,Mayor:- but it has to be possible.
KARZAN VO:The Mayor encouraged me, despite my hesitation as a Kurd, to vote in Iraqs general election. In turn, he was happy to vote in my personal poll. I wonder if he would vote for a Federal Iraq or a divided one.
Karzan sot: I am on my way to visit Sheikh Wasfi Al Ais Al Ubaydi. He is one of the leaders of the Sunni Arabs who boycotted the elections in January 2005.
Sheikh: - this vote on the 15th - is not an election for parliament - we consider it an act of war. - we refuse federalism - because it divides Iraq- like all proud Iraqis we consider ourselves under the occupation Sheikh: - of the Americans and the British.
KARZAN VO:The Sheikh clearly would not vote for either a federal Iraq or a divided one. He reflects the majority of the Sunni Arab in Iraq they want a return to the old order that existed under Saddam, where they were privileged with power.I quickly realized that in order to conduct my poll on the actual general election day, I would have to travel to the home districts of each ethnic group. To do this I had to ask the Americans for a special badge that granted me permission to travel.
Karzan: What do I risk if I drive without a badge?
Bishop: You risk a lot my friend.
Karzan: Which is?
Bishop: Well, you risk arrests, you risk getting shot. You risk a lot without the badge. Do not do that. If my mother showed up right now and she wanted a badge, if she is not on that list, I could not give my mother a badge. And I would not give my mother a badge.
KARZAN VODespite other real air of tension in the city, and armed patrols everywhere, the Kurds could not hide their enthusiasm and passion for this evidence of democracy in action without Saddam.
Karzan: This is hopeful. People are dancing on the streets. I am going to join them because I want to celebrate this happy moment.
Karzan sot: Today Karzan: there will be a big change in the history of Iraq because the people of Iraq are given a chance to go out and vote in a democratic process for the precious 275 seats of the Iraqi parliament.
KARZAN VOI also found great enthusiasm amongst them towards my personal poll.
Karzan: - I want a divided tripartite Iraq - a Shiite country, a Sunni country and Kurdistan.
KARZAN VOAs I traveled across the city I realized this election was sadly not being fought on political grounds, but rather on ages-old ethnic and sectarian divisions.
KARZAN VOAs the day of the election came to a close, I realized I had to make a choice.
Karzan: I have to make up my mind now because I need to decide whether I am going to vote or not. Every members of my family, everyone I talked to on the road said go and vote because this is just one more step towards peace, or what they called towards an independent Southern Kurdistan.
For many years I have never had a chance to vote in this country, and now in one year this is the third time.
KARZAN VOBut what of the results of my poll? One thousand and two hundred people from all over Kirkuk voted. Although the Kurds overwhelmingly vote for the division of Iraq, the majority favoured maintaining Iraq as a single state.
Karzan sot: Well, Karzan: it is a defeat for me but at the end of the day this is democracy, and I will fully accept my defeat.
KARZAN VOFor me, the true solution for peace in Iraq is not dependent on foreign troops with guns, but more on a division of Iraq. We have to recognize that Iraq cannot survive as a single country with all its deep-rooted ethnic hatred. Iraq must divide or fall.
A. Soldier: You must turn the camera off.
A. Soldier: Shut your camera off
Karzan sot: I need to shut the camera off?
A. Soldier: Yes you do.
Karzan: It is the night of the election, tomorrow is the big day. One of the most important days in the history of Iraq. And I can understand why the Americans are so worried.I am most scared on this trip, but I am also coming to very close to the end off it. So lets hope it is going to go well.
KARZAN VO: This year has been particularly hard for my people, the Kurds. Two weeks ago, I returned from my adopted home of Britain to Kirkuk, where I was born, to witness the Iraq general elections. I was there to see how my people, the Kurds, would vote. But I was also there to do my own poll. I took a ballot box with the intention of asking all the different ethnic groups in Kirkuk whether they wanted Iraq to remain as one country, or if they wanted an Iraq divided into three the Shiites in the south, the Sunnis in the center and the Kurds to the north. For me I want Iraq divided into three and an independent Kurdistan. But I also believe in the principals of democracy, and so wanted to see what a poll would reveal.
Josie sot: He is wanting to Jo to cam: share really, I think with the outside world the real life there, basically.
KARZAN VO:I am worried that my vote is contributing to the formation of a government which will lead the country to a devastating civil war.
Karzan to cam: I am in Turkey, and I am traveling towards the border with Iraq. I am traveling by night because I feel safer that way. This is the part of the journey I most dislike. Mainly because I have to go across a border within my own country. Hopefully the day will come when I can fly direct from Europe, from London to Kurdistan.
KARZAN VOMy Nephew Chalak picked me up at the border.
K. to cam: Well, here we are again, Chalak with his pistol.
Chalak: - Kirkuk has become much more dangerous.Chalak sot: - You must have five armed family members...Chalak sot: - guard you at all times.
K. sot: I cant believe it because first I came here in January and he had a pistol, and I was already thinking this is too much to go around with a pistol on you. And now I have an army around me.
Karzan: - is everyone in Kirkuk armed?
Guards: - Yes, yes
KARZAN VO:Kirkuk to me seemed a city under siege. Everyday the roads are blocked to allow the American forces and city officials to travel within the city. It is a hard place to find ones feet. To do so I thought I would meet with the Mayor of Kirkuk, Mustafa Abdulrahman.
Mayor: - Kirkuk is a microcosm of Iraq.Mayor: - If it blows up here it will blow up all across Iraq. - Many people are against a new Iraq. Its not easy to create a new democratic country,Mayor:- but it has to be possible.
KARZAN VO:The Mayor encouraged me, despite my hesitation as a Kurd, to vote in Iraqs general election. In turn, he was happy to vote in my personal poll. I wonder if he would vote for a Federal Iraq or a divided one.
Karzan sot: I am on my way to visit Sheikh Wasfi Al Ais Al Ubaydi. He is one of the leaders of the Sunni Arabs who boycotted the elections in January 2005.
Sheikh: - this vote on the 15th - is not an election for parliament - we consider it an act of war. - we refuse federalism - because it divides Iraq- like all proud Iraqis we consider ourselves under the occupation Sheikh: - of the Americans and the British.
KARZAN VO:The Sheikh clearly would not vote for either a federal Iraq or a divided one. He reflects the majority of the Sunni Arab in Iraq they want a return to the old order that existed under Saddam, where they were privileged with power.I quickly realized that in order to conduct my poll on the actual general election day, I would have to travel to the home districts of each ethnic group. To do this I had to ask the Americans for a special badge that granted me permission to travel.
Karzan: What do I risk if I drive without a badge?
Bishop: You risk a lot my friend.
Karzan: Which is?
Bishop: Well, you risk arrests, you risk getting shot. You risk a lot without the badge. Do not do that. If my mother showed up right now and she wanted a badge, if she is not on that list, I could not give my mother a badge. And I would not give my mother a badge.
KARZAN VODespite other real air of tension in the city, and armed patrols everywhere, the Kurds could not hide their enthusiasm and passion for this evidence of democracy in action without Saddam.
Karzan: This is hopeful. People are dancing on the streets. I am going to join them because I want to celebrate this happy moment.
Karzan sot: Today Karzan: there will be a big change in the history of Iraq because the people of Iraq are given a chance to go out and vote in a democratic process for the precious 275 seats of the Iraqi parliament.
KARZAN VOI also found great enthusiasm amongst them towards my personal poll.
Karzan: - I want a divided tripartite Iraq - a Shiite country, a Sunni country and Kurdistan.
KARZAN VOAs I traveled across the city I realized this election was sadly not being fought on political grounds, but rather on ages-old ethnic and sectarian divisions.
KARZAN VOAs the day of the election came to a close, I realized I had to make a choice.
Karzan: I have to make up my mind now because I need to decide whether I am going to vote or not. Every members of my family, everyone I talked to on the road said go and vote because this is just one more step towards peace, or what they called towards an independent Southern Kurdistan.
For many years I have never had a chance to vote in this country, and now in one year this is the third time.
KARZAN VOBut what of the results of my poll? One thousand and two hundred people from all over Kirkuk voted. Although the Kurds overwhelmingly vote for the division of Iraq, the majority favoured maintaining Iraq as a single state.
Karzan sot: Well, Karzan: it is a defeat for me but at the end of the day this is democracy, and I will fully accept my defeat.
KARZAN VOFor me, the true solution for peace in Iraq is not dependent on foreign troops with guns, but more on a division of Iraq. We have to recognize that Iraq cannot survive as a single country with all its deep-rooted ethnic hatred. Iraq must divide or fall.