Baghdad holds sway over Mosul mayor dispute, MP says

Shafaq News – Nineveh

The final decision on the ongoing dispute within the Nineveh Provincial Council over the appointment of Mosul’s district mayor is made in Baghdad, not the province, an Iraqi MP said on Saturday.

Lawmaker Mohammed Nouri Al-Abed Rabbo told Shafaq News that the post is contested between two main blocs—United Nineveh and Future Nineveh—though the outcome is shaped by political bargaining over other administrative and district-level positions.

He noted that divisions have also deepened within the United Nineveh bloc, with discussions underway to replace figures in state institutions. “Political and party interests are the main reason behind the continued delay in resolving this issue,” he added.

“The talks go far beyond the mayoral post,” al-Abed Rabbo stated, noting that “each side insists on compensation—if one takes the mayor’s seat, the other demands an additional post and three districts.” He warned that without a give-and-take arrangement, the dispute “will not be resolved anytime soon.”

The Council postponed the vote on October 10 to select Mosul’s mayor due to the absence of consensus on a unified candidate.