Kurds hope election will bring democracy for all

More than 300 members of Auckland's Kurdish community celebrated the election of Iraq's first Kurdish President at the weekend - an event they hope marks the beginning of democracy for all people in Iraq.

Kurdish flags and photographs of President Jalal Talabani were waved above smiling faces at Cornwall Park yesterday in an expression of hope for the future.

Abbas Ahmed said 700 to 900 Kurdish people lived in Auckland and nearly half of them turned out to share in the celebrations.

"For us it means no longer can any regime persecute us for being Kurdish. We hope democracy has come to Iraq and every one as citizens has equality. Before, we were treated as second-hand citizens. No longer are we treated as second-hand citizens," he said.

Mr Ahmed, who works as a cultural adviser for the Refugee and Migrant Service, said the election of a Kurdish President was unlikely to see Kurdish people living in New Zealand return to Iraq.

"For us living in New Zealand it does not make much difference. We are living in a democracy and everyone has the right to be here," he said.

"We are sharing in happiness ... we have a right like any other nationality. We have our history, our land, our language. We want to share our part in Iraq."

Mr Talabani, 71, promised to represent all ethnic and religious groups, free of persecution and oppression, when he was elected last week.