Iraq's Nineveh Provincial Council elects Mansour al-Mareed as new Governor

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Following a majority vote on Monday, the Nineveh Provincial Council (NPC) elected Mansour al-Mareed as the new governor of the war-torn province.

The session took place around 2 p.m., with over 40 candidates presenting themselves for the post.

Sirwan Mohammed Rozhbayani, an ethnic Kurd, was elected as the first deputy to the governor by a majority vote as well, a member from the NPC told Kurdistan 24.

In the session, which 11 members boycotted, including the deputy head of the council, the NPC announced it would postpone the election of the second deputy for a later date, the NPC member added.

Out of 39 members of the NPC, Mareed won 28 votes, and Rozhbayani secured 26, NPC head Saydo Chato told Kurdistan 24.

Nineveh, in general, and its capital of Mosul, in particular, continue to suffer from a lack of infrastructure, basic services, stability, and security. It was destroyed and damaged by a years-long war against the so-called Islamic State which emerged in June 2014.

Kurdistan 24 spoke with Mareed after his election who vowed to rebuild Nineveh, create job opportunities, and attract investment and business.

He noted that he would work with all the other concerned authorities to improve energy, agriculture, and industry in the province.

On relations with the autonomous Kurdistan Region, which hosts hundreds of thousands of displaced people from Nineveh, Mareed said the two have “many things in common.”

“We have good relations with the Kurdistan Region, geographically, historically, and religiously,” he stated.

“Security in Mosul and Nineveh means security in the Kurdistan Region, and the same is true for the opposite,” Mareed added. “Therefore, we should cooperate and deepen our relations.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Additional reporting by Blessa Shaweys)