Kirkuk local government formation faces delays with complex political negotiations

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Ahmed Ramzi, a member of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, revealed that intense negotiations are ongoing among the political blocs and members of the council in a bid to reach a consensus on forming the local government.

“Discussions have begun to politically link the positions of Parliament Speaker and Kurdistan elections with the formation of the Kirkuk government.” Ramzi told Shafaq News, adding that “Political blocs and the elected members of the Provincial Council have entered into intensive talks to reach a consensus that will result in a coalition government acceptable to all winning parties in Kirkuk, aiming to finalize the formation of the local government.”

Regarding the governor’s position, he said that the Arab bloc and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) insist on retaining the governorship, “while talks are currently underway between the Arabs and the Turkmen Front with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and PUK to reach an agreement. These negotiations are crucial, with the deadline approaching on August 11.”

Ramzi also highlighted that, “Some political actors in Baghdad are attempting to link the agreement on Kirkuk’s administration to the positions of the Parliament Speaker and the Kurdistan elections, in an effort to obstruct reaching a consensus and prolong the delay in forming Kirkuk’s government.”

Ramzi ruled out the potential dissolution of the Provincial Council if no agreement is reached, clarifying that “There is no legal basis for dissolving the council, and no specific timeline dictates the formation of the council. Only the Parliament has the authority to vote on dissolving the council and conducting new elections; any other discussions are inaccurate.”

It is noteworthy that Kirkuk remains the only Governorate where the formation of the local government has not been finalized nearly seven months after the official announcement of the provincial council election results. Despite a session held on July 11, which included 16 members from various parties, including five from the PUK, two from the KDP, six from the Arab bloc, two from the Turkmen Front, and one Christian from the quota seats, the session did not resolve the positions of Council Chairman and Governor, leaving them pending further political agreements.