ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The presence of various armed forces in the province of Kirkuk has created a "dangerous" environment that may result in a demographic change if not addressed by the Iraqi government, a government office responsible for the disputed areas has warned.
Kaka Rash Sidiq called on the Iraqi government, in particular Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, to send a reassuring message to the people of Kirkuk, those still at home and those who have been displaced.
Sidiq's office is responsible for implementing the long-overdue Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution that addresses resolving the disputed areas, claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad.
Amid upheaval in the province following an incursion last month by Iraqi forces, the fate of the first session of the Kirkuk Provincial Council since the military operation remains in doubt as no location has been set. Many members of the council have been displaced.
In a press conference in Kirkuk on Sunday, Sidiq called on the Iraq and Kurdistan governments to work together to return the city and surrounding areas to normal, stressing that the areas are "disputed" and Baghdad must act in accordance with Article 140. Anything else is in violation of the constitution, he said.
The first step, he stated, is for all armed groups, including the mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi and the Counter-Terrorism Service, to withdraw and hand over security to local forces and the Federal Police.
He said armed groups are carrying out "unacceptable" acts like kidnapping and revenge attacks.
He also said that all checkpoints must also be removed from the urban areas.
Sidiq was compelled to issue the warning because of fear of demographic changes and the activities of armed groups who, he said, have no legal backing.
"We have sensed a dangerous feeling since a large force has been deployed to Kirkuk province, operating under various names and uniforms. They raid houses without approval from courts and search these places under the name of searching for weapons and ammunitions. People have been insulted, which is not acceptable," he said.
The United Nations stated on Thursday that 181,000 people remain displaced from the disputed areas, including Kirkuk.
Sidiq said that the displaced should be helped to return to their homes and those affected must receive compensation.
He said the Iraqi government must remove armed groups and state security forces from the offices of political parties and allow every party to carry out their activities according to the law.
The offices of most of the Kurdish and Turkmen parties in Kirkuk are open, but the provincial headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by Kurdistan's former President Masoud Barzani, is now under the control of the Counter-Terrorism Service.
There were expectations that an armed unit from the Iraqi presidency would be tasked with security in Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu, but an official from the office of President Fuad Masum, a Kurd, said Abadi has not approved such a deployment.
Abadi appointed an interim governor, an Arab, in place of the deposed Najmaldin Karim, a Kurd, in mid-October.
Kirkuk Provincial Council is due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the situation of the province, nearly a month after deadly clashes between Iraqi and Kurdish forces, but no location has been set.
Rebwar Talabani, acting head of the council, stated that the location will be decided collectively by the three components of the Kurdish-controlled body: Arabs, Turkmens, and Kurds.
But even the Kurds cannot agree amongst themselves on a location. The KDP is not ready to attend a session held within the boundaries of Kirkuk province, considering it "occupied" and unsafe.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which maintains an office in Kirkuk, prefers Kirkuk, said Ahmad Askari, a PUK member of the council.
He believes Turkmens and Arabs will also prefer meeting in the province and may not attend a meeting outside of Kirkuk.
The PUK, KDP, the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), and some of the minorities form the Kurdish Brotherhood faction and collectively hold 26 out of the council's 41 seats.
The PUK has not kept it secret that without the support of other Kurdish parties, including the KDP, Kurds may risk losing the post of the governor to either the Turkmens or Arabs. The PUK has nominated its member Rizgar Ali for the post to replace deposed Najmaldin Karim, also from the PUK.
The province had been governed by a Kurd since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 until October 16.
Some degree of normalcy is returning with 90 percent of Kirkuk University's 23,000 students now back in class.
Head of the university, Omar Inja, told local media that those who have not returned are concerned they may face problems because they were involved in nationalist events, including raising the Kurdistan flag and voting in the independence referendum.
Inja reassured all students that no one will face any disciplinary action adding that he, too, attended a number of nationalist events.
The Iraqi forces removed Kurdistan flags in the disputed areas when they took over in October. Kurdish parties have been prohibited from flying the flag.
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