Controversial late night session

Kirkuk council elects PUK governor as KDP leads boycott

2024-08-11 | 12:54

KIRKUK — After months of political deadlock following last year’s elections, the Kirkuk Provincial Council convened in Baghdad this Saturday, culminating in the election of Rebwar Taha from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan as the new governor of Kirkuk. The session was notably boycotted by the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

Taha became an MP in Iraq’s federal parliament in 2014 before leading the PUK’s bloc in the following election. In 2023, he ran for election to the Kirkuk provincial council.

The meeting saw attendance from nine of the sixteen council members, encompassing five from the PUK, three from Arab blocs, and one Christian representative. This gathering resulted in the election of Mohammed Hafiz, affiliated with former Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Al-Halbousi’s Taqaddum Party, as the council president.

Seven council members, including two from the KDP, three from the Arab Alliance, and two from the Turkmen Front, abstained from attending, demonstrating ongoing political rifts.

Rakan Al-Jabouri, former acting governor and senior member of the Arab Alliance, labeled the meeting a “historic insult” to the Arab community, asserting that none of the Arab Alliance members were informed or part of the meeting. He vowed, “We will use all our legal and judicial means to obtain our due rights.”

Iraqi law states that Kirkuk’s ethnic and religious diversity means local government positions must be distributed across all demographic groups regardless of election results.

The Turkmen Front has rejected the legality of the session, planning to challenge it in court. Their press statement highlighted: “The issue of Kirkuk cannot be resolved by distributing ranks and positions. What has happened goes against the harmony, agreements, and coexistence between communities. This is a clear and explicit violation of the law, as it was neither known to nor convened by the senior member of the Provincial Council, violating Article 7 of the Provincial Councils Law.”

Parwin Fatih, a PUK member of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, told 964media, “Within one or two days, Iraqi President Latif Rashid will issue a presidential decree to confirm the nomination, and Rebwar Taha will immediately assume office.”

“The session is completely legal, without any violations. Even Khaled Shawani, the minister of justice [also PUK] attended. According to provincial law, as long as nine members of the council are present, the session is valid.”

On the KDP’s absence, Fatih said, “They chose not to ally with us or meet with us; it was entirely their decision.”

Bafel Talabani, president of the PUK, expressed his vision shortly after the meeting: “We must reconcile Kirkuk and transform it into a model of harmonious coexistence, economic prosperity, and lasting peace. I hope that in a few years, instead of talking about the problem of Kirkuk, we will be striving to emulate Kirkuk.” He also noted the need to directly communicate with the boycotting KDP members: “I need to deliver my messages directly to them.”

Further developments in the council proceedings saw the election of Christian representative Angel Zia Shiba as the first vice president of the council. Due to the absence of Turkmen members, Ibrahim Tamimi was elected as the second vice president. Shiba holds the sole Christian quota seat and caucuses with the PUK. Zia Shiba is a member of the Babylon Movement. Rayan Kildani, leader of the Babylon Movement, and PUK chief Bafel Talabani enjoy a close relationship.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party, which has had longstanding disputes with the PUK over control of the governorate, has not yet clarified its stance following the recent election. Efforts by 964media to contact KDP officials for comment were unsuccessful.

The KDP has pushed for a ‘neutral’ Kurdish governor for Kirkuk, while the PUK has maintained that the governorship is its rightful claim as the party with the highest vote share.

The events in Kirkuk overnight could further deepen the rift between the two rivals, not only in Kirkuk but across the Kurdistan Region, especially with the upcoming Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections set for Oct. 20 this year.

Addressing the ongoing rift, PUK spokesperson Saadi Ahmed Pira stated in a Sunday press conference that “it’s time to work together with the KDP for the sake of Kirkuk.” He added, “The time has come to leave the past behind, put an end to previous conflicts, and embrace a new era of mutual understanding.”

The backdrop of these elections is marked by a series of infrequent council meetings since the provincial elections on Dec. 18, 2023, which failed to establish a provincial government until a resolution pushed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on July 11, 2024, which successfully broke the stalemate and set a 30-day deadline for the appointments made overnight.

The demographic makeup of the council reflects Kirkuk’s diverse population, with seven seats held by Kurds (five for the PUK and two for the KDP), six by Arabs (from the Uruba, Qiyada, and Arab Alliances), two by Turkmen, and one quota seat reserved for a Christian member.