The Kirkuk Governor and Provincial Council Speaker discussed the draft strategy for the development of Kirkuk and the renewal of the city’s basic design until 2037.
This took place during a joint meeting attended by council members, experts, deputy governors, engineers and general managers on Saturday, October 19.
According to a statement issued by the provincial council, all participants collaborated in discussing the draft strategy for Kirkuk’s development, aiming to enhance the city’s design until 2037.
"They delibtaed on the design stages and its significance in achieving city development and expansion and ensuring the establishment and growth of projects in the upcoming years, to in meet the needs of people.”
The statement mentioned that is initiative would be supported the Kirkuk provincial council and specialized government agencies.
Discussions on the draft development strategy and design are expected to continue until final approval aligning with the priorities of the administration and the Kirkuk provincial council.
The Kirkuk local government was established in August after eight months of deliberation among the various factions in the provincial council.
The northern, oil-rich, ethnically diverse province of Kirkuk is home to approximately 1,77 million Kurds, Turkmen, and Arabs. Located 238 kilometers north of Baghdad, it has been the focal point of disputes between the federal government in Baghdad and the Erbil-based Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The 16-member Kirkuk provincial council, split into two opposing fronts - nine supporting the local government versus seven protesters, yet has to finalize most of the administrative posts in the province.
The Kirkuk government was formed months ago through an agreement between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), some Arabs, several Shiite Turkmen parties outside the provincial council, and the Christians.
The head of the Arab coalition in Kirkuk, the former acting governor from 2017 to 2023, and the president of Iraqi Turkmen Front ITF have filed complaints against nine council members representing various blocs, including Rebwar Taha, governor of Kirkuk and Muhammad Al-Hafez, provincial council speaker, with the Federal Supreme Court on behalf of the Arab and Turkmen components against the August 10 session in Baghdad that led to the formation of the Kirkuk local administration.
The opposition front in the council, comprising the Arab coalition, the ITF, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP bloc, deemed the Rashid Hotel session illegal.
Historically, during the Ba'ath regime, most key positions of Kirkuk local administration held by the Arab community. In 2017, the governor's post was reinstated for the Arabs until the December 2023 provincial council elections, where a Kurdish candidate from the PUK faction once again won the post last August.
*This story has been produced as part of the 'Budget is Your Right' initiative, with support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
