Stalled progress: Challenges in forming Kirkuk's local government

Shafaq News / On Friday, Kirkuk Council member Ahmed Ramzi affirmed that discussions regarding the formation of the local government have been stalled since the last meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, despite the administrative and legal vacuum the governorate is experiencing.

Ramzi, a leader in the Iraqi Turkmen Front, told Shafaq News Agency, "Two months have passed since the Higher Electoral Commission's (IHEC) approval and the announcement of winning blocs and members of the Provincial Council. Despite Al-Sudani's efforts, personal follow-up, and two meetings aimed at bridging the gap between political blocs to form the local government, no progress has been made so far."

"Kirkuk currently faces an administrative and legal vacuum due to the absence of a local government, and the Provincial Council is unable to carry out its legislative and oversight duties," Ramzi emphasized.

He pointed out that "the meeting scheduled to be held last week with the Prime Minister was postponed, and it seems that political bloc leaders are preoccupied with the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, there must be a swift resolution to the issue of forming Kirkuk's administration and appointing a new governor and council chairman."

Ramzi stressed, "Management should be shared among all components, and we do not accept any marginalization of Turkmen," questioning, "Why do not the winning blocs hand over the governor's position to the Turkmen, which is a constitutional and legal right?"

Ramzi emphasized that "the swift formation of the local government helps support project files and provide services to all areas of Kirkuk."

In turn, Ali Al-Bayati, the spokesperson for the Kirkuk Electoral Commission Office, clarified that "the delay in forming the local government and the presence of a specific time frame for the government's formation is not within the Electoral Commission's purview. Our work is limited to conducting elections, announcing results, and commission approval."

Responding to a question about the intention to hold new elections in Kirkuk after failing to reach an agreement between blocs, he indicated that "the matter of holding new elections is not within the authority of the Electoral Commission."

In this context, legal expert Ali Khalil, told Shafaq News Agency, that "the Parliament is capable of dissolving the Kirkuk Provincial Council according to Article 20 of the Law of Governorates Not Organized in a Region, and the current governor continues his work. The current governor or two-thirds of the members of Parliament can request new elections, setting a new date for them."

He continued, "The Arabs, Turkmen, and Kurds are still awaiting proposals from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to resolve the crisis. However, if any party does not accept Al-Sudani's proposals, the crisis will continue and exceed the legal period."

Noteworthy, Kirkuk held its first local elections on December 18, 2023, since 2005. The Kurds won seven seats, divided into five seats for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), two seats for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and one seat for the quota (Babylon), making a total of eight seats.

In contrast, the Arabs won six seats divided as follows: three seats for the Arab Alliance, two seats for the Leadership Alliance, and one seat for the Orouba Alliance, while the Unified Iraqi Turkmen Front won two seats.

The electoral scene is characterized by parity in the number of seats between Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen, resulting in none of them being able to form the local government.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani chaired two meetings for the winning political forces in the Kirkuk Provincial Council elections and announced a "principles agreement" to proceed with forming the local government in the governorate.