The PUK has selected its politburo member Rizgar Ali as candidate for the position of governor of Kirkuk, PUK politburo member Rafaat Abdullah told Rudaw.
This comes after President of Iraq Fuad Masum signed a decree to remove Najmaldin Karim from his post on Wednesday.
In September, the Iraqi parliament ruled to sack Karim who was a vocal supporter of Kurdistan – raising the flag of Kurdistan over the disputed city alongside the Iraqi one and urging people to vote in the independence referendum.
Karim, a member of the PUK, refused to abide by the parliament’s decision, arguing the legislature did not have the authority to remove him from his elected position. The Kirkuk Provincial Council also stood by the governor.
After Iraqi forces took control of Kirkuk on Monday, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi appointed Rakan Ali al-Jabouri, an Arab, as interim governor.
