The provincial council of Ninewa opened the door for candidacy for the post of governor despite that the body has been dissolved by the Iraqi parliament; while the government calls it to await a decision by a special court on the issue of the governor.
In its Tuesday November 19 session attended by 23 members, the council voted for the removal of Mansour al-Mar’id from the post of governor and assigned his deputy to run the affairs of the office.
Speaking to KirkukNow following the provincial council’s decision, al-Mar’id said, “the work of provincial council has been frozen by the parliament; therefore, any decision it issues has no legitimacy.”
In a letter he sent on November 13 to the Supreme Commission for Coordination Among the Provinces, Al-Mar’id denied that he has resigned from his position.
In response to the letter, the commission asked al-Mar’id to refer his case to a special court.
The commission also emphasized that since the provincial councils were dissolved by the parliament on October 28, 2019, the Ninewa provincial council does not have the authority to sack the governor until a special court decides on the case.
It also stressed that according to the provincial councils law of 2018, an interrogation session for the governor should be held before making a decision on his/her removal, a measure which has not been practiced by the council.
In conclusion, the Supreme Commission for Coordination Among the Provinces found the Ninewa provincial council’s session devoted to sack the governor contradictory to the 2018 provincial councils law.
