Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is set to meet with representatives of Kirkuk’s political parties later this week to address the ongoing impasse in forming the local administration. This development follows a prolonged stalemate stemming from the December 2023 provincial council elections, which failed to produce a clear majority, complicating the appointment of the next governor.

The Kirkuk provincial council convened its first session last Thursday, marking a significant yet brief ten-minute meeting after months of delay. Despite calls from Prime Minister Sudani urging an expedited process, no substantial progress was made in resolving the disputes between the parties.

“A meeting is scheduled to be held at the end of the week between Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and the political parties of Kirkuk, with top representatives of the Kurdistan Democratic Party [KDP] and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [PUK] in Baghdad, with discussions to be held on the developments regarding the governorship,” Mohammed al-Hafidh, an Arab member of the council, informed Rudaw’s Mushtaq Ramadhan.

The PUK, which secured the most seats—five—in the December elections, claims entitlement to the governorship of the oil-rich city. Their bid is supported by two Arab council members and the winner of the Christian quota. However, the alliance of the KDP, four Arab council members, and both Turkmen council members contests this claim, suggesting a rotational governorship among the three components.

Since December, Sudani has facilitated three meetings between representatives of the political parties to resolve the deadlock. Kurdish parties in Kirkuk hold seven seats in the council, with the PUK winning five and the KDP two. Three Arab parties combined won six seats, while the council’s minority Christian quota was filled by a candidate aligned with pro-Iran Shiite militia groups and the PUK.

Historically, the governorship of Kirkuk has been dominated by Kurds and Arabs since the fall of the Baathist regime in 2003. A Kurdish governor held the post until October 2017 when federal forces returned to the province post the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum, appointing Rakan al-Jabouri as the acting governor. The city has yet to see a governor from the Turkmen or Christian communities.

Prime Minister Sudani’s upcoming meeting aims to bridge the divides and facilitate the formation of a functional local administration in Kirkuk.