Kirkuk Provincial Council delays session over continued disagreement

Shafaq News/ Raad Saleh, member of Kirkuk Provincial Council for Leadership List, Arab Bloc, disclosed on Monday that there is no agreement to convene a council session this week, emphasizing that issues would be discussed at the table of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Speaking to Shafaq News Agency, Saleh stated, "The Arab bloc sees that there is no agreement to hold a council meeting in the governorate building, but rather all the blocs are preparing to present the demands paper at the upcoming meeting of Prime Minister Al-Sudani scheduled for next Sunday at 03:00 pm."

"The Arabs will present a paper of demands explaining their position. There is a rapprochement with the Turkmen members, and work is underway to present a unified paper at the Prime Minister's meeting." He added.

Asked about the position of governor, Saleh told Shafaq News, "The Arabs are committed to the position of governor as it is an electoral entitlement for the Arab masses in Kirkuk. The blocs will not agree on a specific person for the position. Still, there is agreement on the necessity of forming the Kirkuk administration and activating the council after listening to the special demands of the Kurds."

Saleh noted, "Talks about a joint administration for two years between the winners did not receive the support of the Arab members. It is considered best to agree on nominating a governor and council chairman according to the agreements."

It is noteworthy that last December, Kirkuk Governorate, known for its multi-ethnic composition, held its first elections since 2005. The Kurds secured seven seats (5 for PUK, and 2 for KDP) and one seat allocated to the Babylon quota.

On the other hand, Arabs won six seats, divided among the Arab Alliance (three seats), the Leadership (Al-Qiyada) Alliance (two seats), and the Al-Ourouba Alliance (one seat). The Iraqi Turkmen Front garnered two seats.

The electoral landscape faced challenges due to the equal distribution of seats among Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen, which delayed forming the local government, and choosing the new governor.

Kirkuk remains a disputed territory between Erbil and Baghdad, subject to Article 140 of the Constitution. It was previously under joint administration between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government until the Kurdistan's independence referendum in September 2017.