The Turkmen And Arab Groups in Kirkuk Reach An Agreement Regarding Some Election Conditions.

15 November  2012

The Turkmen and Arab groups in Kirkuk Province assembly reach an
agreement regarding some conditions and principles which must be
realized during the local elections in Kirkuk.

The groups convened yesterday to discuss the local elections in Kirkuk
and the election mechanism and reached an agreement regarding some
basic issues. Among these issues is the review and revision of the
electoral roll in accordance with article 23 of the Local Election Law
as well as carrying out the post election local administration
distribution according to the same article.

A joint statement was issued at a press conference arranged after the
meeting. According to the statement the Turkmen and Arab groups had
reached a consensus on holding the elections in Kirkuk after the
special election law for Kirkuk was enacted, to hold the elections
under the supervision of the Kirkuk Division of the  Independent
Supreme Election Commission and under the control of  Federal law
enforcement forces and that Kirkuk was a single election region.

Member of Kirkuk Province  Assembly Ali Mehdi forwarded the proposal
of the Turkmen group to the United Nations Special Envoy Martin Kobler
for Kirkuk to be made into a federal entity.

Kirkuk Province Assembly Head of the Arab Group Abdullah Sami El Asi
explained that the reason for the alliance made with the Turkmen group
was to ensure justice in the city.