A recent meeting between Sunni Arab lawmakers and Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), has ignited fresh tensions over the leadership of Kirkuk. During the meeting, held in Salahaddin, Arab representatives proposed that the position of Kirkuk governor be held by an Arab for the first two years, a suggestion that Barzani firmly rejected.

Muhaiman Hamdani, an Iraqi parliament member who was part of the delegation, revealed that Barzani dismissed the idea outright. “This is impossible to accept,” Barzani reportedly said, emphasizing the Kurdish stance on maintaining a strong position in the governance of Kirkuk.

Hamdani, sharing details of the meeting, stated that the delegation aimed to discuss the formation of the Kirkuk local government. “We went to President Barzani to discuss the formation of the Kirkuk local government. He spoke more clearly than some Arab representatives,” Hamdani commented.

Barzani insisted that Kirkuk should symbolize peaceful coexistence, but he maintained that the idea of an Arab governor was unacceptable. “President Barzani told us that the Kurdish position was not something he could compromise on,” Hamdani confirmed.

The proposal and its rejection come amid ongoing disputes over the leadership in Kirkuk, a province with a diverse population of Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen. The situation was further complicated by a meeting in Baghdad on August 10, where members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and several Arab council members unilaterally elected Rebwar Taha, a Kurd from the PUK, as the new Kirkuk governor. Mohammed Hafez was also appointed as the speaker of the Kirkuk Provincial Council during the same meeting.

This move has been met with significant opposition from Arab and Turkmen communities in Kirkuk, who reject the new leadership formation, exacerbating the political tension in the province.

On August 12, KDP spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed released a statement emphasizing that solutions for Kirkuk should respect the rights of all communities and align with national consensus. The statement also highlighted that previous experiences should not be repeated and that any resolution should be acceptable to all winning parties in the region.

The ongoing dispute over Kirkuk’s leadership continues to underscore the deep-seated divisions in the province, with no clear resolution in sight. The situation remains volatile, with all eyes on the potential fallout from these recent developments.