Kirkuk Provincial Council session fails to convene despite PM's call

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Kirkuk Provincial Council session, called by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, failed to convene amid tensions among components.

A political source told Shafaq News Agency that all 16 members were present at the session venue, but only 8 entered the hall." explaining that "the disagreement arose because the eight members who did not enter demanded that the session remain open after it concluded, to resolve the governor issue within 30 days."

He added that "the eight members who entered the hall wanted the session to be closed after the council members began their duties, thereby leaving the key to convening the next session in the hands of the current governor, Rakan al-Jubouri."

Earlier this week, Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani urged members of Kirkuk's Council to convene their first session.

Al Sudani has chaired three meetings of the political forces that won the Kirkuk Provincial Council elections.

"These dialogues resulted in an agreement to form the Kirkuk Administration Coalition, which includes the winning forces, and a political agreement paper outlining fundamental principles across political, administrative, cultural, and economic axes." in a statement, Al-Sudani said.

He urged political parties to "cooperate in implementing the political agreements and continue these dialogues in the coming days."

Last December, Kirkuk held its first elections. The Kurds secured seven seats: five for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), two for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and one for the quota (Babylon), making a total of eight seats. The Arabs won six seats: three for the Arab Alliance, two for the Leadership (Al-Qiyada) Alliance, and one for Al-Ourouba Alliance. The United Iraqi Turkmen Front won two seats.

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