The leading Kurdish party KDP calls for normalization in Kirkuk ahead of October parliamentary elections and want to take back their offices with their armed members not armless as the Iraqi Prime minster called for.
Shakhawan Abdullah, member of KDP and Kurdistan Regional Government KRG's delegation for negotiation with Baghdad for normalization in Kirkuk, says the political parties want to freely launch election campaigns ahead of elections.
"For this, the situation in Kirkuk should be normalized. We as KDP, won't be back to Kirkuk without arms."
The KDP is willing to participate in Iraqi parliament elections, due next October, in Kirkuk unlike 2018 elections. The decision declared last February was a turning point in the political view of KDP, the leading Kurdish party led by Masoud Barzani and based in Erbil, as the party has boycotted 2018 parliamentary election in Kirkuk after October 2017 events when Iraqi troops regained control of Kirkuk and disputed territories following ISIS claimed defeat.
In October, 2017, Iraqi troops backed by pro-Shiite militias expelled Kurds from Kirkuk following a referendum to join Kurdistan region held by the Kurdistan Regional Government KRG.
Since then, the KDP suspended all its political activities in Kirkuk province, deserted its offices and all the local officials affiliated with the party who used to occupy governmental, security and administrative positions were displaced to Erbil.
On May 8th, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said in a n interview with Iraqi TV channels the KDP is entitled to get back its offices in Kirkuk but without any weapons. He referred to a joint committee between Baghdad and Erbil for this purpose.
Abdullah, a candidate of KDP in Kirkuk for upcoming elections said, "KDP won't be back to Kirkuk without weapons. No one can put conditions for us to go back armless. How we can go back if we can't protect our offices?"
"We need troops to protect our headquarters not with heavy weapons," he added.
"We need troops to protect our headquarters not with heavy weapons," he added.
Last week, PM Kadhimi ordered both sides to accelerate process of putting in place joint operation commands in the disputed territories following escalating threats posed by the extremist group of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, a step to restore stability and security in the region.
Abdullah said they have insisted in the negotiations with Baghdad for their offices to be evacuated and other properties like houses and real estate to be returned to them.
"Another condition is for the militias to be ousted out of town. The security file should be surrendered to the local administration as soon as possible," he added.
Kirkuk November 2020- Protests by Arab residents of Kirkuk against return of KDP offices in Kirkuk occupied by the Joint Operation Command. Photo for KirkukNow.
Supporters of the Arabs and Turkmen parties in Kirkuk accuse KDP of being separatists following 2017 referendum and reject return of KDP to Kirkuk to take back its offices.
The KDP defines Iraqi forces takeover of Kirkuk as “occupation” and demands a pact alike Shingal agreement signed in May 2020 between the Erbil and Baghdad for appointment of a new administration, ousting militiamen to be replaced with joint troops to oversee the security all over the province.
"The situation should be normalized in Kirkuk before elections so that all parties lead election campaigns freely," Abdullah said.
"The situation should be normalized in Kirkuk before elections so that all parties lead election campaigns freely," Abdullah said.
The oil rich city of Kirkuk, located 238 kilometers north of Baghdad, is an ethnically mixed province of Kurds, Sunni and Shiite Arabs, and Turkmen. It has long been at the center of disputes between Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government KRG.
The new electoral law ratified last November, a key demand of demonstrators in 2019, changes each of the country’s 18 provinces into several electoral districts in order to prevent parties from running on unified lists, which has in the past helped them easily take all the seats in a specific province. Instead, the seats would go to whoever gets the most votes in the electoral districts.
The 329-member house of representatives was elected in May 2018. The vote is held every four years, but the protesters have been demanding early elections.
Kirkuk province is divided into three electoral districts for 12 seats.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK led by co-presidents Bafl Talabani and Lahoor shex Jangi is the leading Kurdish party in Kirkuk since 2005. PUK has got 6 out of 12 seats of Kirkuk portion in Iraqi parliament elections of 2013 and 2018. KDP won only two seats of 12 seats of Kirkuk parliamentary seats in 2013.
