Disagreements between Diyala's parties impede the formation of local government: council member
Shafaq News/ Political deadlock continues in Diyala over the formation of a local government and the selection of a chairperson of the provincial council, a member said on Wednesday.
Nizar al-Luhaibi told Shafaq News Agency that the competing parris have failed to reach any agreement on a satisfactory power-sharing forumla, including the chair of the council, governor, and deputy governors.
"The negotiations are still ongoing, but there is no progress so far," al-Luhaibi said. "The main obstacle is the disagreement over the distribution of positions between the different blocs."
The political blocs in Diyala are divided along sectarian and ethnic lines. The main blocs are the Sunni-led Taqaddum alliance, the Shiite-led State of Law coalition, and the Kurdish-led Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The Taqaddum alliance won the most seats in the provincial council elections held in April 2023, but it does not have a majority. It needs to form a coalition with other blocs to form a government.
The State of Law coalition and the PUK are the two main partners of the Taqaddum alliance in the federal government, but they have not yet agreed to join a coalition in Diyala.
