Iraq News Now

Shafaq News / The 'Unified Arab Bloc' was announced today, Sunday, in the Kirkuk Provincial Council, comprising the winners of the local elections from the constituent components.

The bloc was formed from three alliances: the 'Arab Alliance,' the 'Leadership Alliance,' and the 'Arabism Alliance.' This was declared by the acting governor of Kirkuk and the head of the 'Arab Alliance,' Rakan Saeed Al-Jubouri, in a statement followed by a video recording in the presence of the winning candidates from the constituency in the recently held Provincial Council elections.

Al-Jubouri stated, 'We announce the formation of the Arab bloc in the Kirkuk Provincial Council to preserve the rights of our voters and achieve peaceful coexistence among all components.'

The results of the local elections in Kirkuk led to the victory of 'Kirkuk, Our Strength, and Will' list, affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, with 5 seats.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party won two seats, the Arab Alliance in Kirkuk secured 3 seats, the Unified Turkmen Front with two seats, the Leadership Alliance with two seats, and the Arabism Alliance with one seat. Additionally, the candidate (Emil Boutros Constantin Ibrahim Agha) won a Christian quota seat.

Kirkuk is one of the disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad, covered by Article 140 of the constitution. It was previously under joint authority between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government before the referendum for independence conducted by the region in September 2017.

Article 140 aims to reverse the demographic policies implemented by Saddam Hussein's regime in the disputed areas favoring Arabs over Kurds. The article involves taking a census before the final step of holding a referendum, allowing the population to decide whether to join the Kurdistan Region or remain under Baghdad's administration.

The completion of Article 140's implementation was expected by the end of 2007, but security and political issues hindered its progress.