KDP denounces accusations of census manipulation in Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has rejected accusations from Arab and Turkmen groups regarding manipulation in the ongoing census process.

The groups initially called for halting the census, citing concerns over potential manipulation. They later claimed that many families from outside Kirkuk, particularly from Erbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah, arrived in the province just before the census began, alleging that this influx was part of the manipulation.

Mohammed Kamal, KDP’s third branch head, said, "Statements from Al-Siyada Alliance, the Arab Coalition, and the Turkmen Front, along with MP Arshad Al-Salihi, accusing Kurdish parties of relocating families to Kirkuk to manipulate the census are unfounded. Those who returned to Kirkuk yesterday are its original Kurdish residents, and it is their natural right to participate in the census in their birthplace."

Kamal considered the statements “represent the same hostility held by the late Saddam Hussein, who committed the heinous crime of displacing 757 Kurdish villages in Kirkuk and carried out the infamous Anfal campaign against the Kurds."

Regarding Al-Salihi's remarks about the "failure" of the Kurdistan Region's referendum on self-determination, the KDP pointed out, "On the contrary, the referendum was successful and popular, with significant participation from the Kurds in the Region."

Historically, Kirkuk has experienced dramatic demographic shifts, particularly under Saddam Hussein’s Arabization policy, which was later reversed post-2003, leading to renewed ethnic and political tensions.

The upcoming census, the first since 1997, is highly significant for Kirkuk, where ethnic groups—Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen—see it as a pivotal moment to solidify their political and demographic influence in the city.

Notably, the census did not include any questions about the religion and ethnic background of people.