KDP insists on returning to Kirkuk despite tensions
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Thursday called on the Iraqi authorities to return its office in Kirkuk days after a top federal court temporarily suspended the handover of the office to the party. Protests related to the matter led to the death of four people.
The KDP said in a statement on Thursday that it wants “the return of the offices of the KDP and other political parties in Nineveh, Kirkuk and Diyala so that they can freely conduct their political activities.”
An order from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani in August asked the Joint Operations Command (JOC) to evacuate their offices in Kirkuk and hand them over to the KDP to allow the Kurdish party to resume its political activities in the province. The buildings were used by the KDP prior to the expulsion of the Peshmerga forces from Kirkuk in October 2017 when Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) gained control of the province.
Hashd supporters strongly rejected Sudani’s decision, holding sit-ins on Erbil-Kirkuk main road near the building for days. Dozens of Kurdish protesters in Kirkuk held demonstrations of their own on Saturday, which quickly developed into confrontations between the two sides. The Iraqi forces fired live ammunition to disperse the Kurdish protesters, killing at least four.
In light of the violence, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Sunday said that it had decided to suspend the implementation of Sudani’s order until a ruling was made on the lawsuits asking the court to cancel the order.
The KDP called for the establishment of “an independent” investigative team, which should include Erbil and Baghdad representatives, regarding the tensions in Kirkuk.
It also said that “reasons for creating obstacles” for the Sudani’s decision to allow KDP return to Kirkuk should be identified.
The KDP said in a statement on Thursday that it wants “the return of the offices of the KDP and other political parties in Nineveh, Kirkuk and Diyala so that they can freely conduct their political activities.”
An order from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani in August asked the Joint Operations Command (JOC) to evacuate their offices in Kirkuk and hand them over to the KDP to allow the Kurdish party to resume its political activities in the province. The buildings were used by the KDP prior to the expulsion of the Peshmerga forces from Kirkuk in October 2017 when Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) gained control of the province.
Hashd supporters strongly rejected Sudani’s decision, holding sit-ins on Erbil-Kirkuk main road near the building for days. Dozens of Kurdish protesters in Kirkuk held demonstrations of their own on Saturday, which quickly developed into confrontations between the two sides. The Iraqi forces fired live ammunition to disperse the Kurdish protesters, killing at least four.
In light of the violence, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Sunday said that it had decided to suspend the implementation of Sudani’s order until a ruling was made on the lawsuits asking the court to cancel the order.
The KDP called for the establishment of “an independent” investigative team, which should include Erbil and Baghdad representatives, regarding the tensions in Kirkuk.
It also said that “reasons for creating obstacles” for the Sudani’s decision to allow KDP return to Kirkuk should be identified.