KDP criticizes Kirkuk Provincial Council meeting as ‘illegal’

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Democratic Party has labeled Saturday’s meeting of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, which took place at the Rashid Hotel in Baghdad, as “illegal and problematic.”

The meeting, held on Aug. 10, 2024, saw the participation of members from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, three Arab members, and one Christian representative. During this session, Rebwar Taha of the PUK was elected as the governor of Kirkuk, and Mohammed Hafiz was chosen as the chair of the Kirkuk Provincial Council.

The KDP, in a statement released on Monday, criticized the meeting for not including all relevant parties. “The meeting was held without notifying all parties and in the absence of Turkmen representatives, some Arab members, and the KDP,” the statement detailed, adding that the proceedings were “illegal, problematic, and not conducted in the correct manner.”

The KDP did not appear to explicitly reject Rebwar Taha’s election as governor outright. Nor has it committed to legal action, which contrasts with the stance of some Arab and Turkmen groups.

Meanwhile, the PUK political bureau, meeting in Sulaimaniyah on Monday, urged unity and cooperation among the factions of the Kirkuk Provincial Council. “We call on all parties and factions to put aside their minor disagreements from today onward and to work together in the process of governing, serving, and rebuilding Kirkuk without any form of discrimination between the groups,” the bureau stated, reassuring the Turkmen community of their “rightful and deserving place in the administration of Kirkuk.”

The controversial meeting was attended by nine out of sixteen council members, including five from the PUK, three Arabs, and one Christian. The election of Mohammed Hafiz, affiliated with former Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Al-Halbousi’s Taqaddum Party, as the council president followed.

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

The Turkmen Front has openly rejected the session’s legality and plans to challenge it in court. Their statement emphasized, “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, informed 964media that a presidential decree from Iraqi President Latif Rashid to confirm the nomination is expected within days. “Rebwar Taha will immediately assume office,” Fatih stated. She defended the legality of the session, saying, “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.” Regarding the KDP’s absence, she noted, “They chose not to ally with us or meet with us; it was entirely their decision.”