Leadership struggle in Gorran Movement sparks tensions in Al-Sulaymaniyah
Shafaq News/ Tensions flared in Al-Sulaymaniyah on Friday after an internal dispute within the Gorran (Change) Movement blocked a planned ceremony to appoint Dana Ahmed Majid as the new coordinator.
According to local sources, forces loyal to Chia Nawshirwan Mustafa, the son of Gorran’s late founder, shut down the movement’s headquarters by closing the main entrance with concrete barriers.
The escalating confrontation stems from a power struggle between factions supporting Majid and others backing Omar Said Ali, according to the sources.
Chia Nawshirwan Mustafa is leading the opposition to Majid’s appointment, contesting the transfer of authority within the movement.
In a message to both Majid and Ali, Chia Nawshirwan Mustafa argued that the Gorran headquarters “did not belong to them” and demanded that the ceremony be held elsewhere. He called for a broader discussion on leadership, pushing for the selection of a new representative for the movement.
The Gorran Movement, once a prominent political force in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has been grappling with internal divisions since the death of its founder, Nawshirwan Mustafa, in 2017.
What began as a reformist movement aimed at tackling political corruption and promoting transparency has struggled with leadership disputes and competing visions for its future.
Founded in 2009 as a breakaway from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Gorran quickly gained momentum, securing 24 seats in the 2013 Kurdistan Parliament elections and overtaking the PUK. However, its political influence has waned in recent years, with the movement winning just 12 seats in the 2018 elections.
