Source: Kirkuk leaders have two weeks to resolve provincial posts issue

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has given political leaders in Kirkuk two weeks to reach an agreement on the positions of governor and provincial council chairman, a senior official revealed on Thursday.

The official, speaking to Shafaq News Agency, said the deadline aims to kickstart constitutional procedures for forming the local government, approving the contents of a political agreement paper, and scheduling a provincial council session.

"The prevailing agreement during the meeting was an Arab-Turkmen pact with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to share power and rotate the governor position," the source said. "However, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) insists the governorship is their entitlement and wants to hold the position exclusively while sharing other positions with the remaining political blocs."

The official disclosed that Prime Minister Al-Sudani set the two-week deadline to encourage the political forces within the "Kirkuk Administration Coalition" to reach a final agreement.

Another official confirmed on Wednesday that a previous meeting between Al-Sudani and the representatives and leaders of the political blocs that won seats in Kirkuk's Provincial Council ended without an agreement.

For over five months, the winning blocs have been unable to agree on a joint proposal to form the local government. Each bloc insists on holding the governorship, leading to discussions about rotating the position among Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen blocs. This option remains under discussion and is awaiting a third meeting, the date of which has yet to be specified by Prime Minister Al-Sudani.

On February 21, the Prime Minister oversaw a meeting with all winning blocs and set a deadline of March 3 for preparing proposals related to forming a new administration for the governorate and establishing a joint local government.

The redistribution of dozens of senior administrative positions among Kirkuk's components is expected, as most are currently managed on an acting basis. These positions include the provincial council president and vice president, the governor and their deputies, four district commissioners, directors of 16 sub-districts, and several general directors.

Notably, Kirkuk held its first elections since 2005 on December 18, 2023. The Kurds secured seven seats: five for the PUK, two for the 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.