Kirkuk Council to hold crucial session for leadership elections
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Kirkuk Provincial Council is set to convene its second session on Thursday, with expectations that it will elect a new chairman, select committee heads, and open nominations for the position of governor, a source within the Council revealed.
The source told Shafaq News, “There are speculations that a new chairman will be elected tomorrow, and if the vote goes through, nominations for the governor’s position will commence.”
The source added, “There is a consensus on moving forward with the election of the chairman and the committees as well.”
It has been seven months since the Kirkuk Provincial Council has been unable to elect its chairman, vice-chairmen, and governor due to disagreements among the winning political blocs.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Arab bloc in the Kirkuk Provincial Council announced Rakan al-Jabouri as their candidate for governor and expressed their anticipation of reaching a final agreement with other blocs.
The Arab bloc argues that the governor’s position is rightfully theirs, while the Turkmen demand the role, citing their status as the third-largest ethnic group in the governorate. Meanwhile, the Kurds believe that the governorship should be theirs due to their status as the largest bloc by number of seats.
The political impasse in Kirkuk has led to intervention by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who held two meetings with Kirkuk Council members. However, these discussions have yet to resolve the deadlock, leaving the positions of chairman and governor still unfilled.
Prime Minister al-Sudani had urged Kirkuk Council members on Saturday to agree on the governorship in a manner that meets the aspirations of the governorate’s residents.
The Kirkuk Provincial Council held its first session on July 11, with Rakan al-Jabouri presiding as the oldest member following his retirement from the governorship. Despite the participation of members from various political groups, the session did not resolve the appointment of the governor or council president, leaving these positions pending further political agreements.
Kirkuk held its first elections since 2005 on December 18, 2023. The Kurds secured eight seats: five for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), two for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and one for the Babylon quota. The Arabs won six seats across various alliances, and the United Iraqi Turkmen Front secured two seats.
The equal distribution of seats among Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen (8-8) has complicated the formation of the local government, necessitating this urgent meeting.
