First post-Oct. 16 Kirkuk Council meeting postponed, location remains a concern
The head of Kirkuk Provincial Council (KPC), Rebwar Talabani, postponed Tuesday’s special council meeting due to disagreements between the members as to the gathering's location.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The head of Kirkuk Provincial Council (KPC), Rebwar Talabani, postponed Tuesday’s special council meeting due to disagreements between the members as to the gathering's location.
“As some of the parties have failed to reach an agreement on the location, Tuesday’s meeting has been postponed,” Talabani said on Monday in a press conference held in Erbil.
The Council planned to hold a special session on Tuesday to evaluate the situation in Kirkuk as Iraqi Forces, along with the Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militia, maintain control of the province since their violent takeover on Oct. 16.
The attack led to the displacement of over 170,000 people from Kirkuk to the Erbil and Sulaimani provinces.
Talabani criticized the KPC members for playing party politics and ignoring the current situation in Kirkuk as well as the struggles of the people of Kirkuk.
“Some argue the meeting should be in Sulaimani, others say in Erbil, Kirkuk or even Baghdad. They talk about their interests and have forgotten the people of Kirkuk's situation. It is an abnormal situation, and it needs to be reviewed,” he said.
He added that the KPC has not convened since Oct. 16 due to insecurity and other issues related to the Constitution of Iraq.
The KPC has 41 members in total, but following the Oct. 16 attack, many flew to Erbil and Sulaimani out of fear for their safety.
The Brotherhood bloc holds a majority of the seats, with 26 members including Kurds, Christians, Turkmen, and Arabs. Fourteen of them are currently out of the province they represent.
The head of Brotherhood bloc, Mohammed Kamal, previously told Kurdistan 24 that the current situation in Kirkuk is not suitable for the KPC to hold its meetings in-province.
The KPC needs 21 members present to hold its sessions. The Brotherhood bloc is in disagreement on the location of the meeting as among its members are the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) which still possesses its offices in Kirkuk and calls for the meeting to be held in-province while the rest have fled the area and reject the proposed location.
Editing by Nadia Riva