As referendum frenzy engulfs Iraqi Kurdistan, a prominent Iraqi Kurdish politician has been busy putting together a coalition of dissidents, leftists, secularists and Islamists in hopes of challenging the main ruling parties in the oil- and gas-rich region.

The new Coalition for Democracy and Justice, whose diverse members are campaigning for good governance and accountability, intends to challenge the political system, one of the most corrupt in the world, according to Transparency International. "The Kurdish leadership must work seriously to resolve the political, economic and governance crisis afflicting Kurdistan," wrote coalition head Barham Salih in the Financial Times in May. The British-educated politician, who spent a decade in Washington lobbying for the Kurdish cause, has good relations with the West and has held important positions, including deputy prime minister of Iraq and prime minister of the Kurdistan region.

As second deputy to Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) head Jalal Talabani in September 2016, Salih tried to wrest control of the party from his arch-rival Hero Talabani, the PUK founder’s wife. He failed when his coalition partner abandoned him. However, his fortunes may have changed. Washington, Ankara and Tehran are now scrambling for a reliable partner on the ground in the Kurdistan Region in the aftermath of the controversial referendum coupled with the deep resentment among the Kurdish public over the Kurdistan Regional Government’s financial crisis and the political deadlock.

Over the last three years, low oil prices, disputes with Baghdad, the presence of close to 2 million internally displaced Iraqis and other refugees, and the mismanagement of the economy have plunged the Kurdish region into a crippling financial crisis. The region’s political system has been in turmoil since October 2015 as the confrontation between various Kurdish parties over the disputed presidency of Massoud Barzani reached its zenith and one of the partners in the coalition government was forced out. The state of affairs has created deep public resentment toward the ruling parties in the region, and it has manifested in open rebellion against the independence referendum even though Kurdish nationalism runs deep.