Iraq
The 16 members of Kirkuk's provincial council after their swearing-in ceremony on January 29. 2024. Photo: Kirkuk governor's office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kirkuk’s recently elected provincial council was set to hold its first session on Thursday but the meeting has been postponed to early next week, amid reports of a proposed alliance between the Arab and Turkmen parties with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Kirkuk’s acting governor Rakan al-Jabouri announced in a letter addressed to the council’s administration that the meeting has been postponed to Monday based on the request of some of the parties, to “make room for reaching an understanding” about the province’s future.
A senior member of Jabouri’s Arab Alliance said that a proposal has been made to give Kirkuk’s governorship to the Arabs, the position of the head of the provincial council to the KDP, and the deputies of both the governor and the council to the Turkmens.
“There is a proposal for the position. If it is accepted, they might reach an understanding and move forward. The Arabs are keen that the position needs to be filled by an Arab, so that Mr. Rakan continues to be the governor,” Ismail al-Hadidi told Rudaw’s Hardi Mohammed.
Hadidi stressed that the parties have yet to reach an agreement on the proposal but have engaged in meetings and discussions.
Kirkuk’s top Kurdish parties earned a combined seven spots on the 16-seat council in December’s local elections: the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has five seats, and the KDP has two.
Rebwar Taha, a PUK member of the council, said that they have formally invited the KDP for talks on joining forces on two separate occasions, but are still waiting for a response.
“We have heard from the Arab and Turkmen parties that they are engaged in talks with the KDP, but we have not heard it from the KDP themselves. Our first step was with the KDP. Our politburo formally requested a meeting with them on two occasions,” Taha told Rudaw.
“We still believe that it is better to unite the Kurdish camp then hold discussions with the other components,” he added.
Local officials of the PUK and the KDP in Kirkuk held a meeting on January 9, the first of its kind between the two ruling Kurdish parties since the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) retook control of the city and expelled the Peshmerga forces in 2017.
Arabs have six seats on the council and the Turkmens have two. They are expected to join forces within the council, forming a strong eight-seat opposition challenging the Kurds’ ambition to return a Kurdish governor to the province.
The two Kurdish parties have seven seats on the council. The winner of the minority quota, Injeel al-Barwari, is reportedly linked to the PUK, which could mean the council is evenly split if the Kurdish parties can work together, but that remains uncertain as they are feuding over economic and governance issues in the Kurdistan Region and have not cooperated in Kirkuk for years.
Kirkuk’s acting governor Rakan al-Jabouri announced in a letter addressed to the council’s administration that the meeting has been postponed to Monday based on the request of some of the parties, to “make room for reaching an understanding” about the province’s future.
A senior member of Jabouri’s Arab Alliance said that a proposal has been made to give Kirkuk’s governorship to the Arabs, the position of the head of the provincial council to the KDP, and the deputies of both the governor and the council to the Turkmens.
“There is a proposal for the position. If it is accepted, they might reach an understanding and move forward. The Arabs are keen that the position needs to be filled by an Arab, so that Mr. Rakan continues to be the governor,” Ismail al-Hadidi told Rudaw’s Hardi Mohammed.
Hadidi stressed that the parties have yet to reach an agreement on the proposal but have engaged in meetings and discussions.
Kirkuk’s top Kurdish parties earned a combined seven spots on the 16-seat council in December’s local elections: the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has five seats, and the KDP has two.
Rebwar Taha, a PUK member of the council, said that they have formally invited the KDP for talks on joining forces on two separate occasions, but are still waiting for a response.
“We have heard from the Arab and Turkmen parties that they are engaged in talks with the KDP, but we have not heard it from the KDP themselves. Our first step was with the KDP. Our politburo formally requested a meeting with them on two occasions,” Taha told Rudaw.
“We still believe that it is better to unite the Kurdish camp then hold discussions with the other components,” he added.
Local officials of the PUK and the KDP in Kirkuk held a meeting on January 9, the first of its kind between the two ruling Kurdish parties since the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) retook control of the city and expelled the Peshmerga forces in 2017.
Arabs have six seats on the council and the Turkmens have two. They are expected to join forces within the council, forming a strong eight-seat opposition challenging the Kurds’ ambition to return a Kurdish governor to the province.
The two Kurdish parties have seven seats on the council. The winner of the minority quota, Injeel al-Barwari, is reportedly linked to the PUK, which could mean the council is evenly split if the Kurdish parties can work together, but that remains uncertain as they are feuding over economic and governance issues in the Kurdistan Region and have not cooperated in Kirkuk for years.
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