Shafaq News/ 17 Kurdish parties in Kirkuk announced, on Sunday, an agreement to allocate the governorship position to the Kurdish community, emphasizing the necessity of holding a provincial council session to continue forming the local government.
Mohammed Kamal, head of the Kirkuk branch of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), told Shafaq News Agency, "The meeting of representatives from the 17 Kurdish parties in Kirkuk aimed to reach understandings on forming the new local government of Kirkuk. The attendees made several important recommendations."
He added, "The participants called on provincial council members to hold an expedited session to elect a new council president and governor. The Kurdish parties agreed that the governor should be Kurdish, given that the community holds seven seats in the council."
Kirkuk has been embroiled in a political crisis over the formation of its local government. Seven months after the announcement of provincial council election results in January 2024, the council has yet to convene a session to elect the governor, council president, and their deputies due to the failure of political blocs to reach an agreement.
Last Thursday, the Kirkuk Provincial Council held its first regular session to elect a new governor and council president, chaired by acting council chairman and technical assistant to the governor, Ali Hamadi, amid tight security measures with police and Iraqi army personnel deployed.
Rakan Saeed al-Jubouri, the eldest member of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, adjourned the first session on Thursday, July 11, until political agreements are reached to form the local administration.
On Friday, the Arab bloc in the Kirkuk Provincial Council blamed the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) for the delay in forming the local government, asserting that the PUK's refusal to relinquish the governorship is the primary reason for the council's failure to hold its first session.
Ibrahim Mohammed al-Hafidh, a council member from the Arab bloc, told Shafaq News Agency, "The Arabs and Turkmen have a strategic alliance and are working jointly to form the Kirkuk administration, as this delay harms the interests of the province's communities and affects the delivery of many services beneficial to all citizens."
He added, "The PUK insists on holding the governorship position, which is the main obstacle to forming the Kirkuk government. This insistence leads the Arabs to also claim the position, as they hold six seats plus two seats from the Turkmen Front, making their total equal to the PUK's seats."
Kirkuk held its first elections since 2005 on December 18, 2023.
The Kurds secured eight seats; five for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), two for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and one for the Babylon quota.
The Arabs won six seats across various alliances, and the United Iraqi Turkmen Front secured two seats.
The equal distribution of seats among Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen (8-8) has complicated the formation of the local government, necessitating this urgent meeting.