Dahuk ­ As soon as entering Ibrahim Al Khalil crossing station from Turkey's Diar Bakr, towards the Kurdish Dahuk, people only talk about the day of the referendum on October 15.  

Despite the advertisements hung over columns and walls of Dahuk streets or on "Radio Sawa", which call all sects of Iraqi people to participate in the day for voting on the constitution, there are many conservations on behalf of the minority; such as the Kildo-Assyrians. These conservations include the fear of the hegemony of the Islamic parties over the political scene in Iraq, the lack of guarantees for the rights of the minorities and the clear contradiction in the constitution articles.

Abdullah Mohamed Ibrahim, head of the constitutional enlightenment committee in Dahuk, expects that the percentage of voters in the plebiscite on the constitution may exceed 80%. Nevertheless, there is continuous debate regarding that the constitution did not fulfill all the needs of Iraqi people and that there are points, which conflict with the interests. He added, "The majority of Dahuk residents, which includes Zakhu, Al Emadiyah, Aqrah, Sameel and Shaikhan, would vote with 'Yes' in the referendum on the articles of the constitution, as they do not have any other choice. Voting with 'No', would mean the return of terrorism and sparing the life of Abu Mos'ab Al Zarqawi."

Ibrahim calls all Iraqis to participate in voting, including his family, whom he says that he does not know whether they are going to vote with 'Yes' or 'No'. As for Dr. Esmat Mohamed Khaled, president of Dahuk University, he is hoping for establishing a democratic diverse federal Iraq, which guarantees human rights and religious beliefs for all sects of Iraqi people. In an interview with representatives of the Arab press, Gurgis Shlaymun, Deputy Dahuk Governor, said that the constitution is essential, but it most important to achieve security and stability, despite the fact that Dahuk and most Kurdish cities are enjoying increasing security, which urged many Arab families to come from Al Musel to reside in Al Malayeen district, which has many villas and the Kurds call it "district of the wealthy and elite". After Iftar, in the center of Dahuk, (in the commercial district) café youth customers only speak about security and stability after the decrease of terrorist attacks, which are still hitting all regions of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Shelimon, who is Assyrian, admits the loack of the services offered to Kurdistani people, in the fields of health and the electricity, which has brief cuts, in addition to water and education. Yet, he thanks Allah for the gift of security and stability. He says that Nijervan Mahmoud, former Dahuk governor, has been subject to three assassination attempts. Yet, today, Dahuk has become a center for attracting Iraqi families, which are looking for security and stability, away from betrayal and bombed vehicles that do not mercy a woman, an innocent or a child. He spoke about the return of Kurdish families to the villages that they were deported from, during the regime of the former president Saddam Hussein, such as Muska and Feesh Khabour villages. He pointed out that Kurdistan regional government has spent approximately 1 million and 300 thousand dollars for establishing new homes for the Kurds, who are returning to their new villages.

Shelimon said that 800 thousand citizens in the province, including 9000 Assyrians and 5000 Chaldeans, would participate in voting in the referendum next Saturday. He confirms that it is necessary that the coming referendum succeeds for the future of the Iraqi people.

Shelimon admits the freedom of teaching Assyrian culture in Kurdistan since 1991. He pointed out that there are 26 schools for teaching the Assyrian language. Al Sharq Al Awsat has met with children in Asheeqa village, which resembles a mini-Iraq, according to Mohamed Diab, head of the independent electoral committee in Asheeqa. This is due to the fact that there are Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians and Yezidis there. It is the village that was deprived from the elections last January, due to the fact that the ballot boxes did not reach it due to routine chaos. On the other hand, the members of this committee say that depriving Asheeqa residents from participating in the first parliamentary elections was deliberate and that his might reoccur for the voting on the referendum next Saturday. This would be the lack of specifying the locations for 14 electoral centers that the supreme commission for the elections has promised, until yesterday.

On his behalf, Thilnun Yunus Yusuf, director of a district in Asheeqa, which is affiliated to Al Musel, states that demonstrations have erupted in Asheeqa due to the delay of representatives and forms, which arrived before midnight on the elections' day of last January. He pointed out that there are current contacts with Thaher Habib Al Jaburi, director of the supreme commission in Al Musel, but he fears the reoccurrence of the same experience. Al Qush village, similar to Asheeqa, also worries about the reoccurrence of the experience of depravation from voting, due to the non-arrival of ballot boxes on the designated day. Al Qush approximately includes 21800 votes. The officials of the electoral committee in Al Qush (35 km from Al Musel) refer to the existence of security problems for transporting the ballot boxes, despite the existence of the preset plan for coordination with the National Guard, the alliance forces and the local police for securing the former elections. As for Hermiz, a priest at the Lady Monastery, which was built in the 9th century and includes 4 priests from Baghdad, he feels free in practicing religious rituals but he still worries about the security situation. On the outside door of the monastery, there is a founding plaque for maintaining and overhauling the monastery upon directions on behalf of the leader in 1981 and 1982. Nevertheless, the name of Saddam Hussein has been deleted, similar to the rest of his status in Kurdistan cities and villages. Hermiz demands for sections in the constitution, which guarantee the freedom of practicing religious rituals on behalf of the majority. As regards Dr. Sally Najah, who came from Al Musel to attend the wedding of her sister, she is worrying like her two colleagues Sandy Samir and Anwar Lelian.

Al Sharq Al Awsat