KDP official urges postponement of census in Kirkuk until Article 140 is implemented

KIRKUK – Mohammed Kamal, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s Kirkuk branch, has called for the postponement of the general census in Kirkuk, scheduled for Nov. 20 and 21, until Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution is fully implemented.

At a press conference, Kamal stressed the need for displaced Kirkuk residents—now living in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah—to return to participate in the census if it proceeds as planned. “The situation in Kirkuk must first return to normal before the general census can proceed,” Kamal said. “We call for the delay of this process and urge that no steps be taken until Article 140 is fully implemented.”

Article 140 addresses the long-standing territorial disputes over Kirkuk and other areas claimed by both the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. The article, part of Iraq’s 2005 constitution, outlines a framework to reverse the demographic changes imposed during Saddam Hussein’s regime, which forcibly displaced Kurds and Turkmens and replaced them with Arab settlers. The aim is to restore the pre-Baathist era demographics in these disputed territories.

Article 140 of Iraq’s 2005 constitution outlines a three-step process to resolve the status of disputed areas like Kirkuk. It mandates the return of Arab settlers to their regions of origin and the restitution of confiscated properties to displaced Kurds. The final step involves a referendum to decide whether the areas will join the Kurdistan Regional Government or remain under federal control. The 2007 deadline for implementing the article has long passed, and it remains unfulfilled.

Kamal highlighted the importance of the return of displaced residents before the census begins, warning that their absence could deprive them of essential rights, including food aid and oil allocations. “If Kirkuk’s displaced citizens are not allowed to return, they will be deprived of their rights and support,” he said.

He also addressed concerns about the Arabization of Kirkuk, pointing to the village of Zartik in the Altun Kupri district. “Until 1988, no Arab families lived there, but now, during the census process, 28 Arab families and only eight Kurdish families have been registered,” Kamal said. He added that more than 250 Kurdish families from the area have been displaced.

On Sept. 18, the General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region, an agency responsible for overseeing Article 140, released a statement expressing concern about the census. “We approach this process with concern and scepticism, especially in Kurdish areas outside the KRG[‘s jurisdiction], where Article 140 remains unimplemented,” the statement read.

The Iraqi Ministry of Planning has completed preparations for the national census, scheduled to begin on Nov. 20. “The Central Statistical Organization has finalized the mapping, enumeration, and numbering processes to ensure an accurate population count,” the ministry said in a Sept. 8 statement.

Whether the census goes ahead in Kirkuk or not, a key question will be missing from Iraq’s first national census in decades: the question of ethnic group.

This omission is particularly significant for areas affected by Article 140, such as Kirkuk, where demographic balance is a central issue. During Saddam Hussein’s Arabization campaign, many Kurds and Turkmens were forcibly displaced from Kirkuk and replaced by Arab settlers, dramatically altering the city’s ethnic composition. A question about ethnic identity in the census could help clarify the demographic makeup of disputed territories, which would be critical for any future referendums or power-sharing arrangements.

Iraq’s last census in 1997 recorded a population of 19 million, with the Kurdistan Region’s population counted separately at 2.8 million. The current population is estimated at 46 million.