Shafaq News- Erbil

The General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region on Saturday rejected Baghdad’s decision to upgrade Jalawla in Diyala province to district status, warning that the step violates Article 140 of Iraq’s Constitution.

Board head Fahmi Burhan told Shafaq News that “altering Jalawla’s administrative status without coordination between Erbil and Baghdad constitutes a unilateral move outside the constitutional mechanism governing contested areas.” Any change requires joint agreement under Article 140, he stressed, cautioning that inaction by Kurdish representatives could encourage further measures.

Iraq’s Planning Ministry formalized the upgrade last Thursday following a 2024 vote by the Diyala Provincial Council, according to council chairman Omar al-Qaisi. The decision adds to ongoing disputes over territories in Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Saladin, many affected by past Arabization policies. Article 140 was intended to resolve the status of disputed territories through normalization, a census, and a referendum, yet it remains unimplemented nearly two decades later.

Jalawla, located about 70 kilometers northeast of Baquba, has a mixed Arab, Kurdish, and Turkmen population. ISIS seized the town in August 2014 before Iraqi forces recaptured it that November. In 2023, local officials estimated that Kurds comprised roughly 10% of residents following displacement and security pressures.

Readmore: Into 2026, Baghdad and Erbil face the same disputes—with higher stakes