With one day left before Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani’s deadline for Kirkuk’s political forces to resolve disputes over the governor and provincial council chairman positions, a partial breakthrough is emerging. This raises hopes for the formation of the city’s ethnically diverse local government after Eid al-Adha.
After the Kurdistan National Party announced on Sunday its agreement to rotate the governor position, Prime Minister Al Sudani recommended today that Kirkuk’s provincial council convene after the Eid holiday.
For over five months, the winning blocs in the Kirkuk Provincial Council elections have failed to agree on a joint proposal for forming the local government, each insisting on holding the governor position. Discussions about rotating the position among Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen blocs remain on the table, pending a yet-to-be-determined date set by Prime Minister Al Sudani.
Mohammed Kamal, a leader in the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Kirkuk, stated, “Our visit to Deputy Arshad Al-Salihi is part of our ongoing communication with a parliamentary and Kirkuk figure we respect. We aim to save Kirkuk from the current state of lacking a council and legitimacy. Kirkuk needs a council and its members to start their duties.”
He added, “Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani recommended that the Kirkuk council commence its duties after Eid al-Adha. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) will support the council members in activating its work and providing services to all components of the province.”
Ribwar Taha, head of the Kurdistan National Union bloc, confirmed on Sunday that the party agreed to rotate the governor position for two years, involving all components in managing the province. He noted that the late President Jalal Talabani had established principles of enhancing coexistence among all of Kirkuk’s components.
The plan includes redistributing dozens of senior administrative positions among Kirkuk’s components. Most of these positions, including the council chairman and his deputy, the governor and his deputies, and the heads of four districts and 16 sub-districts, as well as several general directors, are currently held on an acting basis.
On May 30, Prime Minister Al Sudani gave Kirkuk’s political forces two weeks to reach a final agreement on the governor and council chairman positions. Sources informed “Al-Mada” on June 3 that Al Sudani plans to initiate a new round of negotiations with Kirkuk’s political forces after Eid al-Adha to address the crisis and seek an agreement.
On May 29, Al Sudani held the third meeting with the political forces representing Kirkuk’s components, reviewing efforts and consultations to approve the political agreement paper and the mechanisms for forming the local government according to the law. The meeting also agreed on a timeframe for convening the provincial council.
The consensus seems to favor a Turkmen solution, involving rotating positions among the components: two years each for Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen, or dividing the four-year term among the three groups.
Former Turkmen MP Fawzi Akram Terzi revealed on May 28 the involvement of neighboring countries in the Kirkuk issue, warning of deteriorating security and political conditions due to these interventions.
On December 28, 2023, the Independent High Electoral Commission announced the final results of the Kirkuk Provincial Council elections. The “Kirkuk Our Strength and Will” coalition received 157,649 votes and five seats; the Arab Coalition in Kirkuk got 102,558 votes and three seats; the United Iraqi Turkmen Front obtained 75,169 votes and two seats; the Leadership Coalition secured 61,612 votes and two seats; the Kurdistan Democratic Party garnered 52,278 votes and two seats; and the Arabism Coalition received 47,919 votes and one seat. The council has 16 seats: 11 for men, four for women, and one for minorities.
Acting Governor Rakan Saeed Al-Jabouri called on January 30 for the elected council members to hold their first meeting on February 1 to select the council chairman and deputies and elect the governor and deputies. However, disputes have delayed the governor’s election, with Kurdish blocs demanding the position while Arabs want to continue managing the province, and Turkmen also seek the role.
According to the Provincial Councils Elections Law, the first session must convene within 15 days of the final results’ approval, one day after council members take the legal oath before a judge. The first session is chaired by the oldest council member, Brawen Fatih of the Kurdistan National Union bloc. The council must elect a chairman and deputy by a majority vote (50+1), requiring nine votes from the 16-member council. There is no legal provision specifying the duration for which the council can keep its session open if the positions are not decided in the first session.
Kirkuk held its first elections in 2005, and on January 18, 2023, conducted the latest Provincial Council elections. Kurds won seven seats, joined by the Babylonia Bloc’s quota seat, totaling eight seats. Arabs won six seats, while Turkmen secured two seats.
