The independence referendum for the Kurdistan Region reflects not just struggles with Baghdad but intra-Kurdish political rivalries that could encourage further conflict.

As protesters throughout the region challenge their authoritarian leaders, Iraqis are also standing up and demanding more accountability from their government and an end to the corrupt practices of their politicians.

In order for Iraq to maximize petroleum wealth and meet the country’s economic demands, clearer lines of authority between the central government and the regional governments need to be drawn and Baghdad may have to manage resources more directly.

Since the American occupation of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government has enjoyed an unprecedented degree of autonomy. But is Iraqi Kurdistan today a region of Iraq enjoying an unusual degree of autonomy or is it a state in the making?

Iraqi Kurds are headed for challenges, with a relatively smaller bloc in the new parliament and greater difficulty maintaining unity on key issues.

For the Kurds, the forthcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections are a litmus test for the viability of the power-sharing agreement between the various political, ethnic, and religious groups in the Kurdistan region.