KDP candidate re-elected Nineveh deputy governor

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Sirwan Rozhbayani from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was re-elected on Saturday as Nineveh’s first deputy governor after lengthy negotiations.  

Rozhbayani was the incumbent and after days of heated talks, the newly-elected Nineveh provincial council voted to keep him in his position, Rafaat Smo, assistant to the governor, told Rudaw. 

Omar Namiq from the National Identity Party was elected as second deputy in the same vote. 

“We will work as one team for the sake of the people of Nineveh,” Rozhbayani said in a statement after his re-election. 

Sunni politician Abdulqadir al-Dakhil from the Nineveh for its People Alliance was voted governor on Monday in the first meeting of the provincial council.

Dakhil had served as acting governor of Nineveh since November when former governor Najim al-Jabouri resigned due to his alleged past links to Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath regime.

Ahmed al-Hasud was elected head of the provincial council and Mohammed al-Jabouri as his deputy. 

Iraq held provincial elections on December 18.