Kurdistan's Election: A Chance for a Better Health Care System

The people of Southern Kurdistan went to the polling stations yesterday July 25, 2009. Although the elections was tainted by some irregularities in terms of the easily removed secret ink and the disenfranchisement of thousands from their rights to vote including Kurds in diaspora, the election was the right step toward a more representative and liberal democracy in Kurdistan.
Representative democracies are crucial in themselves to the health of individuals and populations. Providing the opportunity for people to participate in the decision making process and to be advocates on their own behalf can have positive consequences on their mental and in consequence physical health. It was scientifically recognized that the greater social justice and representative democracy the better the health of people and individuals. Although the direct mechanisms of such a relationship need to be furthered explored, it is clear that there are a myriad of indirect mechanisms that mediate such a relationship.
first, it is not only the ability of the president and other political leaders of Kurdistan to get to world-class hospitals and clinics that is making them able to live longer. More importantly, it is their socioeconomic status and their ability to be heard are what make them able to live longer, achieve a better life expectancy and a higher moral. To overcome the inequality of such an outcomes like life expectancy it is necessary to achieve better equality in terms of self-actualization by providing more opportunities for participation in the decision making process and political representation.
Second, progress toward liberal democratic representation will hopefully have positive impacts on the political orientation toward a health related host of factors like health care system. A transparent and accountable governance will logically lead to a more responsive health care system that takes into account the will, needs and wants of people. The needs of people for primary health services for example will hinder any miscalculated or benefit driven health care policies as privatization of primary and secondary health care institutions and services.
The elections on July 25, was a turning point in the history of Kurds and Kurdistan. It was the beginning of the end of the authoritarian representation in Kurdish politics. The existence and engagement of an active opposition in Kurdistan Parliament will advance the prospect of a liberal and truly representative democracy. Beside the direct political influences of such a development, liberal democracy can have positive impact on the life expectancy of people and a genuinely responsive health care system. The next term of Kurdistan parliament will be not only interesting to watch but also extremely attractive for professionals and other stakeholders to engage in the decision making process. Lets roll our sleeves and go to work. Let a lot lying ahead of us.