Iraq News Now

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan called for the

normalization of the situation in Kirkuk as part of the electoral entitlement

of the components in the province.

The province is governed individually by governor

Rakan al-Jabouri, who is making administrative and demographic changes in

different parts of the province, the PUK said, affirming rejection of such

issue as "Kirkuk is an exceptional case."

"We call for the normalization of the situation in the

province and its institutions within the electoral entitlement for each

nationality according to what is stated in the legal texts, and stressed by the

Iraqi constitution," the PUK added.

KDP censures Jabouri

Earlier, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) also accused acting governor of Kirkuk Rakan al-Jabouri of carrying out Arabization and demographic changes in the Kurdish areas, and displacing its indigenous Kurdish population.

"Demographic change practices are still continuing in the villages and towns of Kirkuk by the governor and the military authority there," the KDP bloc said in a press statement.

"We, in the Kurdistan Democratic Party, condemn and denounce in the strongest condemnation terms this chauvinist practices, and consider them a serious threat to peaceful coexistence in Iraq and the political process as a whole," the bloc said.

"We call on all concerned parties to carry out their responsibilities to stop these actions which are contrary to the Iraqi constitution," it added.

Arrest Warrant

The Commission of Integrity affirmed earlier issuing an arrest warrant against Jabouri, based on Article 340 of the Penal Code.

The warrant was issued as Jabouri failed to carry out some measures concerning some cargo that was seized in 2008, which caused the damage of the materials in the cargo, a statement issued by the Commission's media center read.

ISIS allegation

Muzahim al-Hewitt, a spokesman for the Arab tribes in the disputed areas, accused Jabouri of being an ISIS member.

Jabouri's decision to allocate more than 1,600 residential plots inside Kirkuk province to the IMIS elements coming from other Iraqi provinces comes as a tribute to their efforts to occupy Kirkuk and other disputed areas, Hewitt said.

"As Arab tribes, we consider these practices by the Kirkuk governor as an attempt to revive the policy of Arabization again, especially that Jabouri aims to create sectarian strife in the city between Arabs, Kurds and other brotherly nationalities," he asserted.