Sovereignty Alliance dismisses claims of compromise on Arab rights in Nineveh, Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the Sovereignty Alliance (Al-Siyada) vehemently denied allegations that it had engaged in negotiations with Babylon Movement leader Rayan al-Kildani to compromise on Arab representation in the local governments of Nineveh and Kirkuk.

Khalid al-Mafraji, spokesperson for the Sovereignty Alliance, refuted claims made by Nineveh Provincial Council member Abdullah al-Nujaifi, who suggested that a deal had been struck at the expense of Arab positions. "We did not sit with Rayan al-Kildani to negotiate over positions or electoral entitlements in Nineveh or Kirkuk," al-Mafraji told Shafaq News Agency.

He clarified that during the negotiations for the Nineveh local government, the Sovereignty Alliance was part of a broader political coalition representing Arab interests, and discussions with other parties were conducted collectively, not individually.

Al-Mafraji also addressed the decision by the coalition to relinquish the deputy governor's position in Nineveh, stating it was done to "preserve Nineveh's identity from outsiders." He criticized specific Arab figures who later aligned with al-Kildani, accusing them of undermining efforts to support the Arab community in Kirkuk.

"The bloc opposed those Arab defectors in Kirkuk who joined Rayan al-Kildani because we cannot compromise the rights of the Arab community in Nineveh and Kirkuk," al-Mafraji emphasized. "We will not sell out the rights of our people in Nineveh, and we will never abandon them."