KDP: Kirkuk local government needs all parties to break deadlock

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, a leader in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) stated that no single party or group in Kirkuk Governorate can form the local government alone, emphasizing the need for all parties and political forces to participate in the administration.

Ali Hussein, a KDP Leadership Council member in Al-Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, and Raparin stated, "In these areas, neither the KDP nor the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) can form a local government without Arabs and Turkmen."

"We cannot achieve this with the PUK alone. Despite previous discussions and meetings to name an independent Kurdish governor, it did not happen," he added.

Notably, the Kirkuk local government recently progressed with political factions agreeing to hold a new session for the government council, mediated by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. This session aimed to resolve the political deadlock by considering a rotational governorship among Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen for balanced representation.

The Kirkuk Provincial Council consists of 16 seats—seven held by Kurds (five by the PUK and two by the KDP), six by Arabs (with 3 seats for the Arab Alliance in Kirkuk, 2 seats for the Leadership, and one seat for the Arabism Alliance), 2 by Turkmen, and one 1 for Christians. At least 9 members are required to attend the first session to complete the quorum.