Local official expects a breakthrough in Kirkuk following resolution in Diyala

Shafaq News/ Political divisions in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk are delaying the formation of a new provincial council, despite recent efforts by Baghdad to mediate between the various factions.

The deadlock comes as the council, which held its first session in July, has yet to elect a permanent speaker or governor. The city, ethnically diverse and strategically located, has long been a point of contention between the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and the central government in Baghdad for years.

Ahmed Ramzi, a member of the Kirkuk Governorate Council, expressed optimism that a consensus would be reached soon, pointing to progress made in neighboring Diyala. However, he acknowledged the ongoing challenges in forming a coalition government in Kirkuk.

“The remaining period from the first session of the Kirkuk Governorate Council is sufficient to reach a consensus among the political blocs,” Ramzi said. “We are working to reach a joint consensus government with the other political blocs.”

The main Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), along with Arab and Turkmen actors, have been unable to agree on a power-sharing arrangement.

“The issue of dissolving the council does not exist in any law except through a unanimous vote by the Council of Representatives, and there is no such trend in Kirkuk or among the political blocs,” Ramzi added.

The Kurdish Democratic Party, the Turkmen Front, and the Arab group in the council have boycotted a meeting called by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Babylon bloc, citing concerns about a lack of inclusivity.

“The Arab group will boycott the meeting called by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan because this meeting contradicts the dialogues that the winning political parties are conducting,” said Raad Saleh, a member of the Kirkuk Council.

The failure to form a new government in Kirkuk has raised concerns about instability in the city, which has seen several flare-ups of violence in recent years. The oil-rich governorate is claimed by both the KRG and the central government, and its status has been a major point of contention between Erbil and Baghdad.

In a bid to break the deadlock, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has intervened, urging the major players to reach a compromise.