Turkmen Front suggests solution for Kirkuk provincial entitlements

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Turkmen Front revealed that it has submitted a proposal to address the Kirkuk local government issue.

The proposal suggests the periodic selection of a governor from among the various components of the governorate: Arabs, Turkmen, and Kurds.

Sami Al-Bayati, a leader of the Turkmen Front, told Shafaq News Agency that a comprehensive working paper has been developed for four years for both the Kirkuk Provincial Council and the local government.

In the December elections, the Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen blocs secured eight seats each.

"To address this, the proposal suggests rotating the governor's position among the fundamental components of Kirkuk." He said.

"While the proposal initially faced strong rejection from political parties in Kirkuk, continued dialogue and negotiation have led to increasing acceptance to end this crisis."

On Wednesday, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Pola Talabani member unveiled plans for an upcoming meeting with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to settle the Kirkuk governorate file.

Talabani emphasized that "while the PUK remains open to all parties, it leans towards negotiations with the Kurdish house, especially the KDP. There is a convergence of views between the parties, and a dedicated meeting will soon be convened to settle the Kirkuk issue definitively."

Moreover, Talabani asserted that "the position of Kirkuk governor is a Kurdish entitlement for the PUK, given their substantial electoral gains. However, a decision will be reached through consensus with all stakeholders."

In a pivotal meeting held at the beginning of February, the two leading parties in Kurdistan agreed that the new governor of Kirkuk must be of Kurdish origin.

The results of the local elections in Kirkuk saw the list "Kirkuk Our Strength and Will" affiliated with the PUK win five seats, while the KDP secured two.

The Arab Alliance in Kirkuk won three seats, the Unified Turkmen Front won two seats, the Leadership Alliance won two seats, and the Arab Bloc won one seat. Additionally, Emile Boutros Constantin Ibrahim Agha won a Christian quota seat.

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.