The Kurds have lost most of their posts, and some Arabs and all Turkmen have been totally marginalized.
A Kurdish representative warns that unilateral governance in Kirkuk threatens peace and coexistence. Recent agreements have marginalized Kurds and Turkmen, violating constitutional principles. He calls for equitable power-sharing based on demographics and election results.
“The Iraqi government should not support unilateral actions in the disputed areas. Instead, a pluralistic government based on consensus is needed in these regions,” stated Dizhwar Fayeq, a government representative.
A recent agreement reached at the Rashid Hotel in Baghdad to form a local government in Kirkuk has caused great concern. This agreement has effectively excluded some Arabs, Kurds, and all Turkmens from the city’s administration. Dizhwar Fayeq told The Kurdish Globe: “Since Iraq has not implemented Article 140 of the constitution, it is morally and politically obligated to ensure these areas are jointly administered. The Iraqi government cannot unilaterally support any agreement that doesn’t include pluralism. Unfortunately, there is strong external interference against documents proving the Kurdish majority in Kirkuk and against election results confirming the same.”
He continued, “Look at Nineveh and Diyala – because Arabs are the majority, the governor is from their community. In southern Iraqi provinces where Shia Arabs are the majority, the governor must be from their community. By this principle, in Kirkuk, the governor should be Kurdish. According to the city’s history in British and French archives, and the 1957 census, Kurds are the majority. In the last provincial council elections, Kurds won seven seats.”
Fayeq emphasized that the Iraqi government should view the city’s reality as it is. If it wants to play a positive role, it must consider these factors and distribute positions according to the population. He warned that the current arrangement is illegal and has exacerbated problems in Kirkuk, creating inequality and dividing Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen.
“The Iraqi government should have respected the constitutional timeline for the Kirkuk provincial council to meet and elect a governor,” Fayeq stated. “They should have set a one-month deadline for all parties to reach an agreement. If no agreement was reached, the Iraqi Prime Minister should have requested new provincial council elections from the Iraqi Parliament.”
He noted that while some non-Kurdish parties are satisfied with the current division, it’s not equitable because Kurds have been disadvantaged in the distribution of posts. “The proportion of Kurds in security institutions, the judiciary, and all other offices is not only below their population share but is very poor. Most district governors and security posts have been stripped of Kurdish representation. This is very dangerous for these areas’ future. How can a proper census be conducted when Kurds don’t hold these positions?”
The government representative in Article 140 suggested that the solution is to distribute positions according to ethnic ratios and correct the proportion of employees in departments. Alternatively, positions could be allocated based on the last election results, where Kurds won enough seats to have heads of offices and a governor. However, he noted that the Iraqi government has not acted impartially, and many parties have interfered for their own interests.
“The meeting to form the council outside Kirkuk was itself problematic,” Fayeq added. “Any division in the city should have at least 70% agreement from Kurdish, Turkmen, Arab, and Christian sides. From a Kurdish perspective, this is clearly a strategic mistake. Kurds have lost the majority, with 70% to 80% of Kurdish positions gone. What remains are powerless posts like municipal and district directors.”
Fayeq concluded, “If this issue is not resolved and Baghdad continues to unilaterally support this administration, the outcome will not be positive. Baghdad needs to carefully understand the situation. What has been done contradicts Article 140, Article 58 (which deals with normalizing the situation in Article 140 areas), and the agreements signed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. These agreements stipulated that illegal forces must leave Kirkuk, main forces should return, and a local force comprising all communities should be created. These matters were previously agreed upon. A large force like the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) cannot be excluded from the equation in Kirkuk. We hope this city will not face the same fate as Nineveh and Anbar.”
