Diyala Council fails to form government amidst protests

Shafaq News/ A scheduled session of the Diyala Governorate Council in Baghdad was abruptly adjourned today due to a lack of quorum, a local source revealed on Thursday. 

The development has sparked protests outside al-Rasheed Hotel, where the meeting is taking place in Baghdad, as political divisions continue to paralyze Diyala's governance. Most of the protestors were members of the Bani Tamim tribe, one of the major tribes in Diyala. 

Sources have attributed the quorum failure to ongoing disagreements among council members over the selection of a new governor and council speaker. The former governor, Muthanna al-Tamimi, who has been at the center of the dispute, confirmed on social media that he had not attended the session in response to demands from his constituents and the Bani Tamim tribe.

Acting Council Speaker Turki al-Ataibi called for a resumption of the first session, which was initially convened in February, in an attempt to break the deadlock. However, the deep-seated political divisions within the council have so far proven insurmountable.

The inability to form a new government in Diyala has led to growing frustration among residents, who have taken to the streets to demand an end to the political stalemate. The council has been divided into two main factions: one supporting the reappointment of al-Tamimi and another opposed to it.

Council Member Darya Khairallah on July 14 called for dissolving the Council that has failed to reach an agreement.