Kurdish 'Donkey Party' leader runs in election

The vast political spectrum in Iraq has a new entrant in its landscape, the "Donkeys Party" made up of over 10,000 Iraqi Kurds. Headquartered in one of the biggest Sulimania hotels in one of the three Kurdistan cities, its political office is called "el-Khan" which mean donkey's home in Kurdish. Party members say "Hey Donkey" to each other as a sign of respect. The leader of the party or self-styled "The Greatest Donkey" is Omar Klol, who confirmed that his party will run in the next election.  "I will win unexpectedly through taking votes that otherwise go to traditional parties," he said. Klol in his interview with Arabstoday said Kurdish voters would turn to his party after losing faith in the lacklustre performances of the mainstream parties.  "Our slogan in the election campaign will be 'Vote for The Greatest Donkey to leave behind regret'," he said. On choosing "Donkey" as the party name, Klol said: "A donkey never kills his brother unlike humans, and is a peaceful animal, gives a lot and takes nothing, which is a strong ideal example of self-sufficiency and sacrifice."  "A donkey has great credibility among many politicians in senior positions in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, as it is the only means of transport between some mountains," he added. Klol used a traditional proverb widely used among Kurdish saying: "The one who doesn’t own a donkey, doesn’t equal its value", as it's very important for so many people in Kurdish society to use the mounts as portable homes. In the 1970s Klol and some of his friends founded an association for donkeys' rights, but the former regime threatened the party members and activists against continuing their activities. The party was licensed by the interior ministry in Iraqi Kurdistan on August 2005. The party's members use terms like "Kick" that mean positive criticism to achieve reforms, and "Bray" representing the citizens' basic needs and similar connotations based on donkey-associated phrases.  The "Donkeys' Club" was first established in Europe in the mid-1950s, and was headed by Francois Bill. Some the club's members were influential in social, political, and economic circles, eventually leading to its spread in Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria.