Fahmi Burhan: Having a Kurdish Governor in Kirkuk is Important

Kurdistan 01:20 PM - 2024-08-12

Fahmi Burhan, the Chairman of the General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region

The Chairman of the General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region emphasises the significance of having a Kurdish governor in Kirkuk, stating that this is particularly important as the Kurds have just regained this right after a seven-year period of being deprived of it. 

In an exclusive interview with PUKMEDIA, Fahmi Burhan, the Chairman of the General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region, emphasised the significance of electing a Kurdish governor in Kirkuk, as this is particularly important as the Kurds have recently regained this right after a seven-year period. Furthermore, he asserts that the fact that the new governor is from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) adds to the significance of this development.

Rebwar Taha, the leader of the Kirkuk is Our Strength & Will Coalition and member of the PUK's Leadership Council, has been chosen as the governor of Kirkuk on the share of the Kurdish community.

The Iraqi provincial council elections were held on December 18, 2023. The Kirkuk is Our Strength & Will Coalition, formed by the alliance between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Communist Party, emerged as the leading political force in Kirkuk. It secured the highest number of votes in the province, with a total of 157,639 votes, accounting for 43% of the votes. Additionally, the coalition won 5 seats, establishing its dominance across all communities in the province.

The following is the interview:

Q: Kirkuk is a Kurdish city, but it is also home to Arab, Turkmen, Chaldean, and Assyrian communities. After a span of seven years, a Kurd will once again assume the position of governor, having secured the votes of Kurds, Arabs, and Christians. What level of significance does this hold for the city's identity?


The presence of a governor chosen by Kirkuk residents is significant, especially given that Kurds believe they have been oppressed for the previous seven years.  The democratic process for appointing a new governor becomes increasingly important, and Kirkuk residents have entrusted this responsibility to their newly elected governor. This marks a fresh phase, and I earnestly hope for everyone to support us in our endeavour to attain the objectives that the city's communities have been deprived of over the last seven years.

Q: How can the Kurds deal with the true identity of the city?

Kirkuk and the Kurdish areas are in a unique situation.  Over the previous seven years, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been excluded from the region's security system and government. Rebwar Taha, the governor of the city, must prioritise working with all communities in the city without any discrimination. His main responsibilities include serving the people of the city and ensuring the provision of optimal living conditions, which are all expected of him. We must also involve our brothers from other communities in governance, since this will have an impact on the Kurdish nature of the city.

Q: What should be the strategy of the PUK? The PUK President said in a message that we must reconcile Kirkuk. What is Kirkuk angry about?

Previously, we held the post of Kirkuk's governor, who served all the communities of the city in general. However,  he may not have fulfilled the expectations of these communities. President Bafel's statement, "We must reconcile Kirkuk," signifies the need to embark on a fresh and distinct approach, aiming to deliver inclusive services to the entire city without any bias and rectify the deficiencies that were there in the past. 

Let us foster brotherhood among the PUK, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and other political parties in the city and collectively participate in the governance of the city. Being part of this brotherhood and serving the city aligns with the reconciliation that President Bafel has advocated.

The PUK President's message was clear in stating that President Mam Jalal's policy will be enforced without marginalising any community, and that Kirkuk will be a city of coexistence, which is the right path.

Q: How can the Kurds and the newly formed administration of Kirkuk effectively meet the needs of the people of Kirkuk, including its various communities? Can the issues of land, property, and injustice be resolved? 

Over the course of the previous seven years, Kirkuk has experienced numerous issues. We believed it to be a part of the undeclared Arabisation dominance, including matters such as land disputes, bias in providing services to different areas of the city, and the lack of implementation of the Constitution and Article 140. The new governor of Kirkuk and the local administration of the city will be responsible for carrying out these fundamental objectives. We, who have experienced injustice, do not wish to maintain it. Our objective is to establish a different model and foster cohesion, solidarity, and trust among the various communities inside the city. 

Q: How can the General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region serve and develop Kirkuk?

As the General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region, we will make every effort to serve Kirkuk, Sinjar, Khanaqin, and all other Kurdistani regions located outside the Kurdistan Region. During recent talks with Baghdad, we have voiced our concerns about the unfair treatment and betrayal of the Kurds and Turkmen in Kirkuk. We are committed to persisting in our efforts to address these issues. We hope that the formation of the local administrations will contribute to the restoration of peace in these areas. Additionally, we expect the establishment of a collaborative security body between the KRG and the Iraqi government, as well as enhanced cooperation between the two governments across all domains.

Q: How can the issue in Kirkuk and the Kurdistani areas be resolved in accordance with Article 140 of the Constitution, which involves conducting a referendum? 

Article 140 is a national duty, and it is the responsibility of the Kurdish political leadership to actively pursue its implementation. The Kirkuk local administration will have a beneficial impact on this matter. The issue of Article 140 should be the central focus of our discussions with the Iraqi government. It is crucial that we prioritise the implementation of all the principles and provisions outlined in the Constitution because, when the Constitution becomes the basis for solving problems, we as the Kurdish nation will not suffer any losses. 
 
Note* Kirkuk is part of the areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad. The unimplemented Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution was largely drafted to address the issue of the disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad. In the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Saladin, the former Iraqi Ba'ath regime made great efforts to Arabise the population, which was the cause of these disputes.
 

 

 

PUKMEDIA