Structure:
    The PUK is a modern, structured political party. Its decision-making body is an elected Leadership Council of 32 members. The Leadership Council elects the Secretary General and the 11 member Political Bureau, which is in charge of the day-to-day management of the organization and implementation of the Leadership Council's resolutions and decisions.
The PUK was originally formed as an umbrella organization unifying various trends within the Kurdish political movement in Iraq. In 1992, the constituent groupings within the PUK merged into a unified political movement that affirmed its social-democratic identity and affiliation.
The PUK has branches in all of the major cities and towns of Iraqi Kurdistan and draws membership from a broad cross-section of Kurdish society. The membership of the PUK, based on statistics compiled in September 1998, stands at 147,280 members and associates.
The PUK contested the 1992 elections for the Kurdistan National Assembly, and the party list acquired 423,682 votes of the total of 957,469 valid votes cast - giving the PUK commanding majority in three of Iraqi Kurdistan four governates.

PUK's organizational structure includes:
    Bureau for Organization: Manages PUK's organizations throughout the region, as well as producing and disseminating educational and informational materials for distribution to the membership. The bureau also supervises the electoral process within the organization and ensures that the party adheres to its bylaws. The Bureau of Organization reports to the Political Bureau and the Leadership Council on the status of PUK's membership and advises on ways to enhance the organization's standing within the population.
The bureau manages the training center in which PUK's cadres are educated and trained in the party's legal, intellectual and political framework and methods of operation. This training prepares party members for active participation in party activities, administrative positions within the party, and/or positions within the regional authority.
Bureau for Information: Supervises and manages PUK media operations. Currently, the PUK operates several outlets:
- The People of Kurdistan TV (based in Sulaimani), the main television station, and other smaller TV stations in the towns and districts of the region;
- The Voice of the People of Kurdistan, a radio station that broadcasts in Kurdish and Arabic. The transmission is received throughout the Middle East and Europe.
- Kurdistan-i-Nwe, a daily Kurdish newspaper, the Al-Itihad weekly in Arabic, and The Moniter, a daily bulletin in Kurdish and Arabic, which monitors international broadcasts on matters relating to Kurdish and Iraqi affairs;
Bureau for Culture and Democratic Organization: Acts as a liaison with professional and cultural organizations such as the Students' Union of Kurdistan, Women's' League of Kurdistan, and the Writer's Association.
Bureau of Finance and Management: Manages the financial affairs and administrative staff of the organization. The Leadership Council, through an independent Auditing Commission, supervises the activities of this bureau.
Bureau for Human Rights: The bureau was instituted to monitor the human rights situation in Iraqi Kurdistan - with primary emphasis on the conduct of PUK members and leadership. The bureau acts as a liaison with local human rights organizations and engages in a wide range of educational campaigns with regard to human rights principles, the rule of law, and democracy and to ensure PUK's adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bureau reports directly to the PUK Secretary General.
Bureau for Social Affairs: In conjunction with the regional authorities, the bureau facilitates settlement of social disputes, particularly with regard to land and tribal matters.
Bureau for Martyr's and Veteran Affairs: The bureau is tasked with assisting the families and dependants of victims of the war in Kurdistan and the veteran community.
Bureau for International Relations: The bureau of international relations coordinates the activities of PUK representatives abroad and reports to PUK's political leadership on relations with foreign government and institutions. The bureau provides individual PUK representatives with guidance and information needed for their activities.
Today, PUK has permanent offices in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Rome, Stockholm and Brussels, the seat of the European Parliament. In the Middle East, the PUK has offices in Tehran, Ankara, Syria and Egypt.
The Center for Strategic Studies: Originally setup by, but independent of, the PUK, the Center is a think-tank affiliated with the University of Sulaimani. The Center's academics write on strategic issues and offer analysis on current affairs. The Center produces original and translated (into Kurdish) works on strategic and political issues pertaining to the Middle East and produces a widely respected periodical entitled "International Policy."

Program:
    The PUK strives for the right of self-determination for the Kurdish people within a unified democratic Iraq. The PUK advocates a political settlement to the Kurdish national issue that is based on the principles of democracy, human rights and recognition of national and cultural identity.
The PUK seeks the promotion of a civil society with democratic institutions in Iraqi Kurdistan. It advocates free and open elections, democratic institutions, freedom of speech and the press and other fundamental human rights, including gender equality. Placing itself within the mainstream of the world's social democratic movement, the PUK believes that a combination of free market forces and government policy is necessary to promote balanced economic and social development and welfare.
The PUK recognizes that Kurds are not the only persecuted peoples in the Republic of Iraq and strives to defend the rights of all ethnic and religious minority communities in Iraq. In this regard, the PUK works with representatives of Iraq's Turkman and Assyrian communities, as well as women's organizations. As part of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the PUK codified respect for Iraqi Kurdistan's many different political, cultural, and ethnic communities. These provisions enabled the formation of a Turkman and Assyrian Educational and Cultural Associations, as well as the restoration of churches in Sulaimani and other districts on behalf of the Christian community.
The PUK actively engages the democratic forces in Iraq to bring about a democratic system of government. The PUK advocates a federal and democratic Iraqi state in which the Kurds, and other ethnic/cultural communities, will be able to develop their economy, their culture and their society.

Current Role:
    In the aftermath of the Gulf War, the PUK cooperated closely with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and other Kurdish democratic elements to create a united front. To bolster the administration of their territory, the PUK and KDP formed a coalition government, the Kurdistan Region Government, in Iraq. The Kurdish Regional Government was accountable to the 105 members of the Kurdistan National Assembly which was elected in May 1992. These parliamentary elections were the first democratic elections ever held in Iraqi Kurdistan. Both parties held 50 seats and five seats were assigned to representatives of the Assyrian community.
Regrettably, in May 1994, the consensus that prevailed between the PUK and KDP collapsed, resulting in internecine fighting. Consequently, a defacto partition of the Kurdistan Region took place with one zone dominated by the PUK and the other dominated by the KDP.
Despite this setback, the PUK continues to play a leading role in the building the democratic institutions that have made the Kurdistan region the first and only one in Iraq to enjoy the fruits of democracy, free speech, and the protection of basic human rights. On a regional scale, the PUK maintains relations with neighboring states, promoting the political cause of Kurdish rights and exploring avenues for peacefully resolving regional conflicts.
Today, PUK-administered areas encompass the provinces of Sulaimani, liberated Kirkuk, and a significant part of Irbil. This area is home to nearly 1.75 million people. The Regional Government in this area is a coalition comprising the PUK, as the senior coalition partner, and the Toilers' party, the Social Democratic Party of Kurdistan, the Conservative Party, and the Islamic Movement, as well as independent personalities.
PUK's Kurdistan Regional Government has achieved important successes. The administration has worked effectively to address the humanitarian, social, and economic needs of the population. It is cooperating with UN agencies in the region to develop a viable mechanism for the implementation of the UN's oil-for food program. The authorities, directly as well with assistance from the NGO and international communities, have begun rebuilding a countryside devastated by the Iraqi government's Anfal campaigns against the Kurds.
Further, the PUK administration has been instrumental in applying the rule-of-law and ensuring basic respect for human rights. The area enjoys considerable freedom of expression and political activity. There are as many as 30 newspapers and magazines, 8 television stations and numerous radios stations operated by various political and cultural group and associations. These media outlets offer the people a spectrum of opinion and sources of information seldom encountered in the Middle East. Unlimited access to the media is a driving force behind the PUK's efforts to modernize and democratize the society.
The PUK has championed women's rights. Woman in the region have won on legal changes that allowed women to inherit wealth and file for divorce, as well as assuring them of equal employment opportunities.
These achievements were attained in a very difficult political and security environment. The PUK appreciates the vulnerable position of the Iraqi Kurdish community and understands that a unified Kurdish front is essential to safeguarding our people. The peace accord between the PUK and KDP, proclaimed in Washington in September 1998, represents a unique opportunity for the people of Iraqi Kurdistan to end the regrettable episode of domestic conflict, and is hoped to lead to unified administration for the region based on the rule of law and democratic accountability.
The PUK is committed to maintaining sound working relations with the KDP to maximize our resources and realize a better future for Iraqi Kurdistan. The prospects of enduring peace offer new opportunities for building upon these achievements and ensuring that a functioning social and democratic system of government will prevail in this region.

The General Objectives of the PUK
First: PUK struggles for democracy, freedom and equality; struggles against dictatorship, war, occupation and aggression; against national, class and religious oppression; against suppression of human rights, gender discrimination and terrorism; it struggles to fulfill the right of self-determination, cooperation and co-existence of nations in peace and harmony.
Second: PUK struggles to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Third: PUK struggles to attain the right of self-determination for the people of Kurdistan.
Fourth: PUK strives for a future social democratic society in Kurdistan.
Fifth: PUK struggles to secure global and regional peace, based on the principles of international law, good neighborly relations and non-interference in internal affairs.
Sixth: PUK struggles to eliminate weapons of mass destruction.

General Political Objectives
1. PUK seeks to establish a democratically elected Kurdistan National Assembly, which would be the highest power in Kurdistan. The Assembly will be elected in a free, direct, and secret election by universal suffrage of all inhabitants, 18 years and older, of Iraqi Kurdistan, with no racial, language or religious discrimination. The Executive authority of Kurdistan will be elected by the Kurdistan National Assembly, and will also be dissolved by the same authority.
2. The judiciary is independent and will not be subordinate to any other power except the law, and will not be interfered with by other powers.
3. The mayor and city council will be elected, by means of a direct and secret ballot, by the cities' residents.
4. PUK's major political objectives are: to assure a democratic system and freedom of thought, freedom of ideology, freedom of journalism and press, freedom of commuting and residency, freedom to establish political organizations, syndicates, professional associations, unions of farmers, women, teachers, youth, artists, writers and athletic clubs, and freedom of protest and strikes.
5. To assure the democratic national and cultural rights of minorities in Kurdistan such as Turkman, Assyrians and Arabs, and to secure their rights to maintain their language, culture, and ethnic traditions.
6. To facilitate the return of Kurdish deportees to their original areas.

The Solution for the

Kurdistan National Problem
1. Ever since the division of the Kurdish homeland in the aftermath of the First World War, the Kurdish people have been denied their basic democratic and national rights. The brutal policies of national oppression and assimilation have inhibited the economic, social, and cultural progress of the people of Kurdistan.
2. In order to confront policies of oppression and assimilation imposed upon the Kurdish people, a democratic resistance movement has emerged from within Kurdish society. This movement has been struggling to realize Kurdish democratic and national aspirations. The Kurdish movement has evolved into a free, patriotic, and democratic movement of historic significance.
3. The issue of Kurdish national aspirations must be resolved in a manner consistent with a peoples' inalienable right of self-determination.
4. A resolution based on the right of self-determination would strengthen the sense of brotherhood and unity between the Kurdish and Arab peoples and would consolidate the Kurd-Arab alliance, which can become a regional instrument for peace and security.
5. The national liberation movement of Kurdistan is a democratic and legitimate movement, struggling against terrorism, violence, and the suppression of basic human rights and democracy. The Kurdish movement is an important force in the region's struggle for human rights and democracy.
6. The Kurdish struggle represents the people's desire for freedom and democracy.
7. The Kurdish movement aims to strengthen its alliances with democratic and progressive Arab forces and other minorities, especially Assyrians and Turkmans, seeking to bring about democratic change, as well as to strengthen its relationship with the world's liberal, democratic socialist forces striving for freedom, peace, and democracy.

The General Economic Objectives
PUK envisions a new, prosperous economy that secures a higher standard of living for its people, promotes development in Kurdistan, and ensures that the country's resources will be allocated to fulfill the aforementioned objectives. That is why P.U. K. seeks to:
1. Draft a program for national economic development,
2. Develop agriculture, vineyards, orchards and animal husbandry to levels that satisfy the needs of the area.
3. Responsibly use Kurdistan's lakes and rivers to irrigate agricultural lands, to promote the fishing industry, and to generate an efficient, reliable source of energy.
4. Revive and develop Kurdistan's forests and bushes, protect Kurdistan's green fields, and develop a comprehensive environmental protection program.
5. Develop agricultural industries and promote the food-processing sector (i.e. poultry and dairy products).
7. Extract and utilize, as part of a long-term economic strategy, underground and mineral resources such as oil, copper, coal, etc.
8. Improve light industries to serve the national economy.
9. Develop and encourage private sector industries.
10. Build local industrial, agricultural, animal husbandry and mineral projects.
11. Build a new comprehensive road network to facilitate and develop the transportation of industrial, agricultural, and commercially needed materials and products inside and outside of Kurdistan.
12. Promote tourism through the infrastructure enhancement projects (roads, hotels, etc.).
13. Organize and revive private and public sector domestic trade.
14. Foreign trade would be pursued by both government and private commercial companies.

Social Development
1. To urgently attend to the housing problem in Kurdistan by working out a comprehensive resettlement and housing plan.
2. To provide adequate utilities, telephone, sewers, traffic roads and transportation to every city, town and inhabited areas.
3. To provide free health care to all of Kurdistan's residents through a series of clinics, and hospitals.
4. To embark on a job creation and training program to address the problem of unemployment, provide for a viable social security system that will provide for the needs of the handicapped, elderly, and families of martyrs, and to legislate employment law in such a way that it assures their social and educational progress.
5. To secure free education at all levels for every student in Kurdistan, to secure compulsory education for all boys and girls in Kurdistan, until the end of the intermediate level, and to establish a national literacy program for Kurdistan.
6. To strive for the improvement of institutions of higher education (i.e. universities and technical institutes) so that they can assure the country's forward progress.
7. To improve the status of women in Iraqi Kurdistan. Women, who constitute half of the population, play a vital role in raising the children of Kurdistan but have not been permitted to pursue political, social or educational careers. PUK believes that, in order to assure the real equality of women and men, the following principles need be applied:
A) Men and women must be equal in every aspect of the law;
B) Women should be free to form families and select spouses;
C) Polygamous, reciprocal or compulsory marriages must be prohibited;
D) Prenatal care and 16 weeks of maternity leave, with pay, must be provided to every woman.
8. To establish science and social clubs for the youth of Kurdistan.
9. To improve the social culture of Kurdistan in a way that would promote freedom, democracy, and a social democratic movement.
10. To promote and improve radio & T.V. broadcasts, theatrical, fine arts, and cinematic productions, and journalism skills.
11. To preserve Kurdish national wealth and culture and historical sites, as well as to establish a Kurdistan Museum for collecting and promoting Kurdish folklore

Rehabilitation of Kurdistan
In order to significantly improve the villagers' lives and to expand their professional opportunities in the areas of industry, agriculture, and animal husbandry, a new strategy for meaningful change must be developed. This strategy would aim to:
1. Create larger villages by combining small villages which had existed before or which still exist in close proximity to each other. The villages must be built with regard to the area's environmental conditions. Every village should have no less than 150 houses.
2. Build a school, a mosque (sanctuary), a clinic, a veterinary center, a community center, a mechanical unit (tractors, combines, bulldozers and shovels) in addition to postal service, drinking water, irrigation water, electricity, markets. . .etc. . . for each village.
3. Obtain and employ modern irrigation techniques with regard to sowing, growing and harvesting agricultural products, utilizing chemical fertilizers, protecting the plantations against disease, and encouraging the farmers to follow the new methods of cultivation.
4. Introduce modern farm equipment and division of labor to the agricultural process.
5. Build appropriate factories for each village based on the locations available natural resources.
6. Develop and extend vineyards, summer crop farms and scientific treatment and preservation of them.
7. Utilize scientific methods of promoting poultry and fishing industry; and, to utilize scientific methods in rearing honeybees and developing related products.
8. Preserve forests and wild life, and to apply a comprehensive environmental protection program. Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was founded in June 1975, some two months after the collapse of the Kurdish rebellion of 1974-1975. Created at a moment of profound crisis for the Kurdish people in Iraq, the organization's aim is to revitalize resistance and to rebuild and redirect Kurdish society along modern and democratic lines.
The PUK has evolved into a principal Kurdish and Iraqi political movement with mass following among the Kurdish people, and internationally recognized as a key player in shaping events and developments in the region.
Jalal Talabani, a former student leader, lawyer, journalist and resistance leader, has been the Secretary General of the PUK since its founding in 1975. From bases inside Iraq, he led Kurdish resistance during the late 1970s and throughout most of the 1980s. Talabani, on behalf of the PUK, and the Kurdistan Front, has led efforts to attain a political democratic settlement to the Kurdish national issue in Iraq.

Structure:
The PUK is a modern, structured political party. Its decision-making body is an elected Leadership Council of 32 members. The Leadership Council elects the Secretary General and the 11 member Political Bureau, which is in charge of the day-to-day management of the organization and implementation of the Leadership Council's resolutions and decisions.
The PUK was originally formed as an umbrella organization unifying various trends within the Kurdish political movement in Iraq. In 1992, the constituent groupings within the PUK merged into a unified political movement that affirmed its social-democratic identity and affiliation.
The PUK has branches in all of the major cities and towns of Iraqi Kurdistan and draws membership from a broad cross-section of Kurdish society. The membership of the PUK, based on statistics compiled in September 1998, stands at 147,280 members and associates.
The PUK contested the 1992 elections for the Kurdistan National Assembly, and the party list acquired 423,682 votes of the total of 957,469 valid votes cast - giving the PUK commanding majority in three of Iraqi Kurdistan four governates.

PUK's organizational structure includes:
Bureau for Organization: Manages PUK's organizations throughout the region, as well as producing and disseminating educational and informational materials for distribution to the membership. The bureau also supervises the electoral process within the organization and ensures that the party adheres to its bylaws. The Bureau of Organization reports to the Political Bureau and the Leadership Council on the status of PUK's membership and advises on ways to enhance the organization's standing within the population.
The bureau manages the training center in which PUK's cadres are educated and trained in the party's legal, intellectual and political framework and methods of operation. This training prepares party members for active participation in party activities, administrative positions within the party, and/or positions within the regional authority.
Bureau for Information: Supervises and manages PUK media operations. Currently, the PUK operates several outlets:
- The People of Kurdistan TV (based in Sulaimani), the main television station, and other smaller TV stations in the towns and districts of the region;
- The Voice of the People of Kurdistan, a radio station that broadcasts in Kurdish and Arabic. The transmission is received throughout the Middle East and Europe.
- Kurdistan-i-Nwe, a daily Kurdish newspaper, the Al-Itihad weekly in Arabic, and The Moniter, a daily bulletin in Kurdish and Arabic, which monitors international broadcasts on matters relating to Kurdish and Iraqi affairs;
Bureau for Culture and Democratic Organization: Acts as a liaison with professional and cultural organizations such as the Students' Union of Kurdistan, Women's' League of Kurdistan, and the Writer's Association.
Bureau of Finance and Management: Manages the financial affairs and administrative staff of the organization. The Leadership Council, through an independent Auditing Commission, supervises the activities of this bureau.
Bureau for Human Rights: The bureau was instituted to monitor the human rights situation in Iraqi Kurdistan - with primary emphasis on the conduct of PUK members and leadership. The bureau acts as a liaison with local human rights organizations and engages in a wide range of educational campaigns with regard to human rights principles, the rule of law, and democracy and to ensure PUK's adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bureau reports directly to the PUK Secretary General.
Bureau for Social Affairs: In conjunction with the regional authorities, the bureau facilitates settlement of social disputes, particularly with regard to land and tribal matters.
Bureau for Martyr's and Veteran Affairs: The bureau is tasked with assisting the families and dependants of victims of the war in Kurdistan and the veteran community.
Bureau for International Relations: The bureau of international relations coordinates the activities of PUK representatives abroad and reports to PUK's political leadership on relations with foreign government and institutions. The bureau provides individual PUK representatives with guidance and information needed for their activities.
Today, PUK has permanent offices in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Rome, Stockholm and Brussels, the seat of the European Parliament. In the Middle East, the PUK has offices in Tehran, Ankara, Syria and Egypt.
The Center for Strategic Studies: Originally setup by, but independent of, the PUK, the Center is a think-tank affiliated with the University of Sulaimani. The Center's academics write on strategic issues and offer analysis on current affairs. The Center produces original and translated (into Kurdish) works on strategic and political issues pertaining to the Middle East and produces a widely respected periodical entitled "International Policy."

Program:
The PUK strives for the right of self-determination for the Kurdish people within a unified democratic Iraq. The PUK advocates a political settlement to the Kurdish national issue that is based on the principles of democracy, human rights and recognition of national and cultural identity.
The PUK seeks the promotion of a civil society with democratic institutions in Iraqi Kurdistan. It advocates free and open elections, democratic institutions, freedom of speech and the press and other fundamental human rights, including gender equality. Placing itself within the mainstream of the world's social democratic movement, the PUK believes that a combination of free market forces and government policy is necessary to promote balanced economic and social development and welfare.
The PUK recognizes that Kurds are not the only persecuted peoples in the Republic of Iraq and strives to defend the rights of all ethnic and religious minority communities in Iraq. In this regard, the PUK works with representatives of Iraq's Turkman and Assyrian communities, as well as women's organizations. As part of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the PUK codified respect for Iraqi Kurdistan's many different political, cultural, and ethnic communities. These provisions enabled the formation of a Turkman and Assyrian Educational and Cultural Associations, as well as the restoration of churches in Sulaimani and other districts on behalf of the Christian community.
The PUK actively engages the democratic forces in Iraq to bring about a democratic system of government. The PUK advocates a federal and democratic Iraqi state in which the Kurds, and other ethnic/cultural communities, will be able to develop their economy, their culture and their society.

Current Role:
In the aftermath of the Gulf War, the PUK cooperated closely with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and other Kurdish democratic elements to create a united front. To bolster the administration of their territory, the PUK and KDP formed a coalition government, the Kurdistan Region Government, in Iraq. The Kurdish Regional Government was accountable to the 105 members of the Kurdistan National Assembly which was elected in May 1992. These parliamentary elections were the first democratic elections ever held in Iraqi Kurdistan. Both parties held 50 seats and five seats were assigned to representatives of the Assyrian community.
Regrettably, in May 1994, the consensus that prevailed between the PUK and KDP collapsed, resulting in internecine fighting. Consequently, a defacto partition of the Kurdistan Region took place with one zone dominated by the PUK and the other dominated by the KDP.
Despite this setback, the PUK continues to play a leading role in the building the democratic institutions that have made the Kurdistan region the first and only one in Iraq to enjoy the fruits of democracy, free speech, and the protection of basic human rights. On a regional scale, the PUK maintains relations with neighboring states, promoting the political cause of Kurdish rights and exploring avenues for peacefully resolving regional conflicts.
Today, PUK-administered areas encompass the provinces of Sulaimani, liberated Kirkuk, and a significant part of Irbil. This area is home to nearly 1.75 million people. The Regional Government in this area is a coalition comprising the PUK, as the senior coalition partner, and the Toilers' party, the Social Democratic Party of Kurdistan, the Conservative Party, and the Islamic Movement, as well as independent personalities.
PUK's Kurdistan Regional Government has achieved important successes. The administration has worked effectively to address the humanitarian, social, and economic needs of the population. It is cooperating with UN agencies in the region to develop a viable mechanism for the implementation of the UN's oil-for food program. The authorities, directly as well with assistance from the NGO and international communities, have begun rebuilding a countryside devastated by the Iraqi government's Anfal campaigns against the Kurds.
Further, the PUK administration has been instrumental in applying the rule-of-law and ensuring basic respect for human rights. The area enjoys considerable freedom of expression and political activity. There are as many as 30 newspapers and magazines, 8 television stations and numerous radios stations operated by various political and cultural group and associations. These media outlets offer the people a spectrum of opinion and sources of information seldom encountered in the Middle East. Unlimited access to the media is a driving force behind the PUK's efforts to modernize and democratize the society.
The PUK has championed women's rights. Woman in the region have won on legal changes that allowed women to inherit wealth and file for divorce, as well as assuring them of equal employment opportunities.
These achievements were attained in a very difficult political and security environment. The PUK appreciates the vulnerable position of the Iraqi Kurdish community and understands that a unified Kurdish front is essential to safeguarding our people. The peace accord between the PUK and KDP, proclaimed in Washington in September 1998, represents a unique opportunity for the people of Iraqi Kurdistan to end the regrettable episode of domestic conflict, and is hoped to lead to unified administration for the region based on the rule of law and democratic accountability.
The PUK is committed to maintaining sound working relations with the KDP to maximize our resources and realize a better future for Iraqi Kurdistan. The prospects of enduring peace offer new opportunities for building upon these achievements and ensuring that a functioning social and democratic system of government will prevail in this region.