Governance in Kirkuk without all parties represented complicates situation, warn Iraqi experts

By Zana Natik Kerem

BAGHDAD / ERBIL, Iraq (AA) - Iraqi experts warned that any scheme for local governance in Kirkuk without all local components represented would complicate the situation in the key governorate.

Experts speaking to Anadolu assessed the recent Kirkuk Governorate elections, held at the initiative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) but boycotted by Turkmen groups and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and some Arab members.

Iraq expert Kazim Yaver criticized the Aug. 10 meeting in Kirkuk where the governor and Provincial Council chairman were elected simultaneously, contrary to the law.

He stressed that all political sides, including Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen, should be involved, and that the governor should be elected within 30 days after the first meeting, not at the same time as the chairman.

Yaver emphasized that there were no security issues requiring the meeting on Kirkuk to be held in the capital Baghdad instead of Kirkuk, saying that the Kirkuk Provincial Council meeting held in Baghdad was illegal.

- Supreme Federal Court likely to annul results of meeting

There are many reasons for Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court to reject the Kirkuk Provincial Council meeting held in Baghdad, said Yaver.

"The situation in Kirkuk has grown even more complicated because the PUK and some Arab parties handed out positions of responsibility in Kirkuk amongst themselves behind closed doors. So I think the federal court will annul the Kirkuk Provincial Council meeting held in Baghdad."

"The KDP, Iraq Turkmen Front (ITC), and some Arabs are already opposed to the election in Kirkuk. The solution is for the Supreme Federal Court to annul the election because it violated the Provincial Council Law," he said.

"Kirkuk's special status must be considered. The stability of Kirkuk is important for the KRG (northern Iraq Kurdish Regional Government), Iraq, and the region. If the election is not rejected by the federal court, the situation in Kirkuk will get even more complex, leading to political and economic problems in the city," he warned.

- Excluding Turkmen leads to confusion and instability in Kirkuk

Iraqi political expert Kenan Haylani told Anadolu that the Provincial Council Law emphasizes consensus in Kirkuk's local administration and that no party should be excluded from the process.

He noted that Iraq’s prime minister intervened in the formation of Kirkuk's local administration and set a deadline of Aug. 11, but due to political disagreements, no solution was reached, and the meeting in Baghdad was held on Aug. 10 without waiting for the deadline.

"Legally, if a provincial council meeting is held outside the city, it must be decided unanimously in a special meeting. The Baghdad meeting lacked this consensus and is thus illegal. Kirkuk’s local administration should be based on equal representation for Turkmen, Kurds, and Arabs, with 32% each and 4% for Assyrians and Chaldeans, as agreed in 2007. However, the Supreme Federal Court invalidated this agreement in 2013, deeming it unconstitutional," he said.

Haylani said the election was a "poor start" and warned that Kirkuk’s future will be "unstable" if the decisions aren’t revised.

Emphasizing that despite the KDP having two seats in Kirkuk, its influence in Iraq and the KRG must be considered, he said: "The KDP is a key component of the Iraqi government and holds power in the KRG. The Turkmen also hold two seats in Kirkuk but are an important and influential factor, especially in Kirkuk."

"Excluding the Turkmen in Kirkuk leads to confusion and instability in the city, so no party should be excluded from the Kirkuk local government. It would have been better if the Kirkuk Governorate elections had been postponed for a while rather than held hastily. Looking at the distribution of roles, we see that discrimination has occurred between the parties," he added.

Haylani also voiced doubt that the people of Kirkuk will accept the election results, citing legal issues due to the lack of consensus.

He said the local government formation process will need to be reevaluated.

- Controversial vote in Baghdad

On Aug. 10, the Kirkuk Provincial Council held a voting session in a hotel in Baghdad to elect the governor and council chairman. The votes supported Rebvar Taha of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan for the governorship and Arab member Muhammed Hafiz for council chair. The PUK announced that Taha had been elected governor.

Turkmen, Kurdistan Democratic Party members, and three Arab members boycotted the vote and did not attend the meeting. The Iraqi Turkmen Front deemed the meeting illegal and petitioned the Supreme Federal Court for its annulment.

Despite objections from Turkmen and Arab groups, Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid delivered a decree appointing Taha Kirkuk's governor. Taha announced that he had begun his duties as governor despite the objections.