Exclusive: Ongoing disputes in Nineveh Council highlight political interference, says bloc head

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Mohammed Hares, head of the Nineveh Future Bloc in the Nineveh Provincial Council, confirmed that disputes among political forces over the positions of administrative unit heads in the governorate are still ongoing.

Hares told Shafaq News Agency, “These disputes are minor, formal, not fundamental, and can be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding.”

“Nineveh Future Bloc has made concessions in favor of the Unified Nineveh Alliance regarding the administration of Tal Abta and Hammam al-Alil districts to move towards a resolution and end the council crisis,” he noted.

The bloc head further revealed, “Disagreements among the council blocs regarding the position of Al-Baaj district mayor continue,” emphasizing that “the position belongs to the Nineveh Future Bloc.”

“The disputes would not continue without political interference from outside the governorate.”

On Tuesday, the Provincial Council held its first session after a three-month hiatus, prompted by a political crisis following a contentious vote on the appointment of administrative unit heads.

The session followed the end of a boycott by the United Nineveh and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) blocs, which had been protesting the decision by the Future Nineveh bloc to replace and appoint leaders of 20 administrative units across the governorate.

Despite the participation of the two blocs in Tuesday’s session, sources indicated that deep disagreements remain unresolved regarding the administrative unit appointments.

A total of 26 out of 29 council members attended the session, with three members absent.