Shafaq News/ Political parties in Diyala, a contested governorate between Baghdad and Erbil, agreed upon reinstating the positions of the local government's chief advisors and deputies to curb the "monopoly" of some parties and revive the "ethnic and sectarian diversity".
An official who preferred to remain anonymous told Shafaq News Agency said that restricting the number of deputy governors to two has stirred political conflict as some parties have "monopolized" the decision-making process in the governorate.
"The political forces have opted to reinstate the positions of the deputies and advisors to the governor after being abolished by the governorate council in 2015," the source said.
"The diversity in Diyala requires more aiding positions to nullify marginalizing some of the sectarian or ethnic components and end political monopoly over the resources of the resources of the governorate."
"Only Diyala canceled those positions. None of the other Iraqi governorates did the same," the source continued, "the decision clearly had bad consequences. Political forces exerted hegemony over the decision-making power."
In August 2015, Diyala's governorate council canceled the position of the governors' deputies (five) and advisors (seven) as a part of the reform campaign launched by the then-Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.
The council also dissolved the district's councils and kept only the chairperson and his deputy to run the administrative issues while preparing for an early election.
However, the decision was revoked by the Supreme Federal Court because it violates the constitution and belies the reference terms of the governorate council.
