The Nineveh Provincial Council is currently embroiled in a conflict between two factions unwilling to compromise on their demands and actively seeking a resolution to the crisis.
The ongoing Nineveh crisis began approximately a month ago when the provincial council, with the participation of over half of its members, voted to elect the heads of the administrative units in the province. This decision led to the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP and the United Nineveh Alliance blocs boycotting sessions and suspending their membership in protest.
The council is divided into two factions. The first is the Future Nineveh Alliance, which successfully elected the heads of the administrative units holding 16 out of 29 total seats. This faction comprises the Coordination Framework forces, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK bloc, Sunni members, and three minority quota members.
The second faction consists of the United Nineveh Alliance and the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP, holding 13 seats.
Mohammed Haris, a member of the provincial council for the Nineveh Future Alliance, the front that decided on the administrative positions insists on its decision, said in a press conference held on Thursday, July 25, regarding the coalition’s position on the developments, “The decision was by legal. The State Council made it clear that the term of the heads of the administrative units ended with the end of the electoral cycle and the new council must choose replacements for them.”
During the press conference, attended by a KirkukNow correspondent, Haris called on the other blocs to return to the council and end their boycott, “to complete the governorate’s requirements for projects because there is a delay in some of them,” stressing their readiness for dialogue and reaching an agreement, without referring to the possibility of canceling the process of electing the heads of the administrative units.
The State Council - an independent body whose mission is to clarify and analyze legal texts - stressed in response to an inquiry from the Supreme Coordination Body between the governorates regarding the Iraqi governorates law that the provincial council has the authority to change and appoint the heads of the administrative units due to the lack of district councils.
This comes after the Para-provincial Coordination Body between the provinces affiliated with the federal government stressed in a letter addressed to the presidency of the Nineveh Provincial Council the need to wait in the process of selecting heads of administrative units until the opinion of the State Council is received.
Video: Two separate press conferences for members of the two fronts of the Nineveh Provincial Council, Mosul, July 25, 2024.
The Presidency of the Council was elected months ago as part of a single package with the positions of the governor and his two deputies, according to an agreement between all the blocs, including the United Nineveh Alliance.
The Kurds have six seats in the current provincial council of Nineveh (four for the KDP and two for the PUK) out of 29 seats, so they have only the post of the first deputy governor while they previously had a council speaker and deputy governor.
Saadoun Al-Shammari, head of the legal committee in the Nineveh Provincial Council (United Nineveh Alliance), explained in a press conference attended by KirkukNow correspondent on July 25 that the State Council letter only addressed the general procedures and powers of the provincial council and not the approval of changing heads of administrative units in Nineveh.
He pointed out that according to the Provincial Councils’ Law, the door must be opened for nominations for the heads of the administrative units and the CVs of candidates must be received and voted on by legal and constitutional procedures so that equality and equal opportunities are achieved for all without discrimination.
Al-Shammari stressed the need to open the door for dialogue to reach solutions and activate the council to serve citizens, "but we insist on taking our rights, rights are taken and not given."
The member of the provincial council for the United Nineveh Alliance, Muhannad al-Jubouri, said during the press conference that his bloc welcomes the call for dialogue, but "on condition that rights are returned to their owners."
Regarding the continued boycott of the sessions by the coalition members, he said, "We will not be false witnesses in Nineveh."
In the voting process to elect the heads of administrative units, the opposition front did not obtain any position though the KDP had previously held several positions in Nineveh.
Ahmed Kiki, head of the KDP bloc in the Nineveh Provincial Council, told (KirkukNow), "We insist on our demands, which are to cancel the results of the July 2 session and it must not be implemented, because it was illegal and unconstitutional."
It is noteworthy that the KDP, one of the main Kurdish parties forming the Erbil-based Kurdistan Regional Government KRG, has filed a complaint with the Federal Court, awaiting its outcome.
Kiki pointed the finger at the Future Nineveh Alliance, "The Presidency obtained its positions by consensus and now they want to pass it by majority, ... so they must be removed."
The head of the KDP bloc pointed out that a meeting was held between the two fronts but did not yield anything, "because they insist on their violations."
The senior positions were determined in all Iraqi provinces following the December Provincial Council elections except the disputed territories: Ninawa, Kirkuk, and Diyala.
Mohammed Jassim, a member of the Council from the PUK bloc - who participated with the Future Nineveh Alliance in voting on the heads of administrative units - stressed in a statement to (KirkukNow) that "the Council's decisions must be implemented because they did not include legal violations and the State Council's letter supports our decisions," and believes that they will put an end to the stagnation in Nineveh.
According to the law, the elected mayor is apppinted per a decision from the governor office for his duties. The governor of Nineveh is considered close to the Unified Nineveh Bloc, but he was elected unanimously by all blocs in the Council.
