Contested sovereignty and democratic transitions in Iraqi Kurdistan

What is it about?

The article examines the manner in which contested sovereignty, namely the absence of international legal recognition, can actually facilitate democratic reforms in non-recognised states. It uses the case of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Northern Iraq as an example for a non-recognised de facto state that has gone through important political reforms.

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Why is it important?

What makes democratisation sustainable in countries or societies that do not have a long democratic tradition? How can the international community contribute to democratic transitions in other countries? These questions lie at the heart of the democracy promotion campaigns. Processes of democratisation in unrecognised states provide us with some interesting insights into the prospects of democratic transitions. This is mainly because unrecognised states are actually perceived as sources of instability and disorder. By understanding the ways in which such actors have actually succeeded in going through some democratic reforms we can learn some important lessons about democracy promotion.