Iraqi Justice Minister: committed to resolving property disputes in Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Minister of Justice Khalid Shawani expressed the government's commitment to resolving the Kirkuk property dispute.

Shawani, speaking alongside Provincial Council Chairman Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Hafiz and Governor Rebwar Taha in a press conference held on Sunday in Kirkuk, considered establishing Kirkuk's local government a "significant achievement" to provide better services for citizens.

He highlighted the newly established local government's commitment to resolving property disputes in the governorate, expressing "optimism for a positive future for Kirkuk."

Governor Taha noted that the local government was formed with national will. "We don't want the conflict to continue; we want to provide services to the people."

Property disputes in Kirkuk stem from Saddam Hussein's policies to alter the region's demographics and the subsequent return of displaced individuals. The disputes primarily involve ownership and land rights, particularly between Arabs and Kurds.

Kirkuk, a disputed area between Erbil and Baghdad, is subject to Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution. This article aims to reverse the demographic policies imposed by Saddam Hussein's regime, which favored Arabs over Kurds, mandating a population census followed by a referendum to determine if Kirkuk will join the Kurdistan Region (KRI) or remain under federal control. Before the KRI 's independence referendum in September 2017, Kirkuk was governed jointly by the federal and Kurdistan Regional governments.

The implementation of Article 140 was initially set to be completed by the end of 2007, but security and political issues have delayed progress. In 2019, the Federal Supreme Court confirmed that Article 140 remains in effect until its requirements are fully met.