Shafaq News/ After seven months of deadlock, Kirkuk provincial council members see little prospect for imminent dialogues or scheduling a new session.

Ahmed Ramzi, a council member, told Shafaq News that "Council members haven't received any communication regarding the scheduling of a new session."

Ramzi clarified that "the session held last Thursday to negotiate the distribution of positions, including the administration of Kirkuk and the council presidency, was not followed by any talks or meetings with other political factions to finalize the allocations."

"There's no set date for a second session, and we haven't been informed of any meetings between political factions and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to complete the proceedings started during the session and subsequent distribution of positions," he added. Ramzi emphasized that "Council members are working diligently to record their attendance and complete the necessary administrative and legal procedures to validate their roles and protect their rights."

Last Thursday, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament and Kirkuk Provincial Council members viewed the first session as a "preliminary step" toward resuming Kirkuk council sessions, aiming to commence within a month to finalize the selection of a governor and council president based on consensus among all factions.

Rakan Saeed Al-Jubouri, the senior President of the Provincial Council, adjourned the initial session last Thursday pending political agreements to establish local administration.

The Kirkuk Provincial Council convened its inaugural regular session last Thursday to elect a new governor and council president. The session, chaired by Ali Hamadi, the technical assistant to the governor, unfolded under strict security measures with Iraqi police and military units on guard.

The governorate, with Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen populations, has long been a center of political disputes.

The electoral scene has become complicated due to the equal distribution of seats among components (8-8), preventing any side from forming the local government.