Historical Background
PDKI (also known as KDPI, KDP-I and DPIK) was founded in Mahabad, Iranian Kurdistan, on 16 August 1945. Just 159 days after its foundation, on 22 January 1946, the Party, availing itself of expedient circumstances in a section of Iranian Kurdistan, established the "Republic of Kurdistan", also referred to by historians as the "Republic of Mahabad ", the reason being its choice of Mahabad as the capital. The “Republic of Kurdistan" lasted not more than 11 months; following a pact signed by the Iranian central government and the Soviet Union, the Iranian army launched a vast offensive into the region, destroying the "Republic" on December 17, 1946. The "Republic" having collapsed, a great number of PDKI leaders were imprisoned, of whom about 20 people including Ghazi Mohammad, head of the Party and President of the short-lived Republic were executed. The Kurdish people in Iranian Kurdistan and PDKI played an active part in the Iranian people's uprising against the Shah's dictatorship. The uprising of the Iranian peoples having succeeded, PDKI declared its overt activities in 1979 in a public meeting held in Mahabad. PDKI has held fourteen Congresses (Conventions) to this date. The 1st congress was convened in 1945, the 2nd in 1964, the 3rd in 1971, the 4th in 1980, the 5th in 1982, the 6th in 1984, the 7th in 1985, the 8th in 1988, the 9th in 1992, the 10th in 1995, the 11th in 1997, the 12th in 2000, the 13th in 2004, and the 14th and the last congress was held in September 2008. The highest body of PDKI is its Central Committee elected in PDKI’s Congress. The Central Committee also elects an executive body best known as the Political Bureau, which also includes the General Secretary. The Central Committee also elects the Party’s General Secretary. The General Secretary of the Party is currently Mustafa Hijri and he remains in this position till the next Party convention which will be held in 2012.
Read more about this topic: Democratic Party Of Iranian Kurdistan
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