Statement from Arab and Turkmen Groups in Kirkuk Province Council

Statement

Political blocs and Iraqi people components participated in the political process and National Unity Government on the basis of a consensual democracy.

Kirkuk’s Turkmen and Arabs have supported the political process according to this basis, noticeably for the last five years Kirkuk governorate tasted far from the flavor of such democracy version, the governorate turned into a protected preserve ethnic and partisan one.

Arabs and Turkmen have sought as possible to change this situation for the better but our actions in this area were always victim of procrastination and prevarication.

To address and overcome this crisis in a way that satisfy all components of the people in Kirkuk, to participate in a fair administration of the province, to participate in the legislative and executive branches the principle of joint management by 32% for all nationalities, Arab, Kurds and Turkmen and 4% for Assyrian Should be applied.

We as Political and tribal Arab and Turkmen forces representatives in the governorate of Kirkuk declare our full support to the proposal made by the crisis cell of Kirkuk and backed by more than (110) Iraqi PM’s, the proposal suggests the division of the Kirkuk governorate to the four constituencies where nationalities to achieve ratios above.

Arab and Turkmen blocs call all political forces in the House of Representatives to approve the proposal amendment in election law to achieve balance and attempts to cope with the demographic change in the governorate of Kirkuk through illegal housing of tens of thousands of people from other governorate and adding them illegally to the ration records.

The 32% co-management and power-sharing proposal has been backed by the President Mr. Jalal Talabani, who emphasized during his recent visit to Kirkuk governorate to the need to adopt this ratio.Arab and Turkmen blocs in the governorate of Kirkuk invite the House of Representatives to declare all the facts to Iraqi people.

Arab and Turkmen groups in Kirkuk province Council

Thursday, June 05, 2008