KDP, PUK agree to elect Kurdish governor for Kirkuk
They agreed that the "Kurdistan Region entity" must be protected, it added.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Sunday agreed to nominate a Kurdish candidate for the Kirkuk governorship, according to a joint statement.
A senior KDP delegation arrived in Sulaimani and was received by the PUK president and other senior party officials in Sulaimani on early Sunday.
The two parties agreed on electing a Kurdish governor in the meeting, months after Kirkuk witnessed its first provincial election in a decade, a joint statement read.
The first Kirkuk provincial council session is set to be held on Monday. The Kurdish parties have seven out of 16 seats at the council.
They agreed that the "Kurdistan Region entity" must be protected, it added.
The KDP and PUK officials also agreed to "jointly endeavor" to resolve the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, including budgetary disputes.
The parties have previously met in Kirkuk, pledging cooperation in the local governance in a bid to normalize the situation in the oil-rich province following Oct. 16, 2017 attacks by Iranian-backed militias and Iraqi forces.
The KDP and PUK have similarly held numerous meetings to discuss holding the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections that have been further delayed.
The Kurdish election law is still a source of tension between the two parties.
KDP has previously reiterated on holding the elections on time without further delay.