Iraqi President approves new Kirkuk governor amid controversy

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, a source confirmed that Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has approved the appointment of Rebwar Taha as the new Governor of Kirkuk.

On August 10, Kirkuk's governor and the head of its provincial council were elected in Baghdad, but the session saw the absence of members from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and several Arab representatives. Rebwar Taha was appointed as Governor, while Muhammad Hafez was named Chairman of the Provincial Council.

Prior to the meeting in Baghdad, three blocs—the KDP, the Arab Coalition, and the Turkmen Front—announced their boycott of the session. They argued that the provincial council meeting, which led to the selection of the local government head and the chairman of Kirkuk's provincial council, was illegal as they were not invited to attend.