Peregraf
The Kurdistan Democratic Party(KDP) bloc has returned to the Kirkuk Provincial Council building and reopened their offices, but they continue to boycott council meetings.
Hassan Majeed, head of the KDP bloc in the council, stated, "We have the right to open our offices to serve the people of Kirkuk, and we will continue to provide various services to the city's residents starting today."
Despite resuming office operations, KDP members are boycotting the council meetings until the federal judiciary issues a ruling on the legality of the controversial Rashid Hotel meeting.
"Our relationship with all council members is good, and we have no issues with the governor or the council head," Majeed explained. "However, we have concerns about the legal status of the Rashid Hotel meeting, and we are waiting for the federal judiciary's decision on this matter."
On August 10, 2024, the Kirkuk Provincial Council held a meeting at the Rashid Hotel in Baghdad, attended by nine members. During this session, Rebwar Taha was elected as the Union's candidate for Kirkuk Governor, and Muhammad Hafez was chosen as the Arab bloc's candidate for council president.
The meeting was attended by five members of the Union, three from the Arab bloc, and one from the Christian bloc. However, it was boycotted by two KDP members, three from the Arab bloc, and two from the Turkmen bloc, who labeled the meeting "illegal" and filed objections with the federal judiciary.
Their objections were primarily based on two points: first, that the meeting did not occur in the Kirkuk Provincial Council building under "security and legal guarantees"; and second, that the meeting should have been supervised by the head of the council, one of its most senior members.
In response, a spokesman for Barzani's headquarters emphasized, "The next governor of Kirkuk must be a moderate Kurd, with agreement from other Kurdish parties." He further noted, "Any attempt at a non-serious consensus led to the failure of the previous meeting."
Khalid Khalil, the spokesman for Barzani's headquarters, added on August 17, "An agreement must be reached regarding the head of the council and his deputy. Our dissatisfaction arises from attempts to achieve non-national agreements and implement unprofessional agendas, which have led to problems and instability."