KHANAQIN, Iraq — Kurdish residents in Khanaqin accuse the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of weakening Kurdish influence in Diyala province’s local governance. They cite the loss of the deputy governor position and two council seats as proof of the diminishing Kurdish power due to the parties’ actions.
Khanaqin, the majority Kurdish capital of Diyala province and situated in the disputed areas between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), has seen a significant loss of political influence. Following Iraq’s local elections on December 18, 2023, Kurds have lost two of their three seats on the Diyala provincial council and the deputy governor’s position.
Residents are deeply concerned about their recent losses and are accusing both the KDP and PUK. Hamid Khanaqini, a Kurdish resident in his 70s, voices his worry about the diminishing Kurdish influence in Diyala, saying, “The head of the provincial council was once Kurdish, but due to the divisions and disagreements between the KDP and PUK, we have lost key governing positions.”
Hamid Khanaqini, a Kurdish resident in Khanaqin, speaking to Zoom News.
While many acknowledge the weakening Kurdish position in Khanaqin, Hussein Mohammed attributes the issue to internal divisions among Kurds. “We Kurds are not united; if we were, we wouldn’t be losing these positions,” he said.
Hussein Mohammed, a Kurdish resident in Khanaqin, speaking to Zoom News.
The head of the 15th Branch of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Khanaqin disclosed that they had urged Kurdish parties to present a unified list in the elections to safeguard Kurdish positions and interests in Diyala province, but their request was declined.
“We, as the KDP, were ready to present a unified Kurdish list to preserve the province’s three seats and address the concerns of our Kurdish voters. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen,” said Akbar Haidar, head of the 15th Branch of the KDP in Khanaqin.
Haidar also noted that other Kurdish political parties rejected their initiative, resulting in the dispersion of Kurdish votes in the province.
Akbar Haidar, head of the 15th Branch of the KDP in Khanaqin, speaking to Zoom News.
Bryar Jaff, Zoom News reporter in Khanaqin, sought the PUK’s stance on the issue from their Khanaqin office, but they declined to comment. However, exclusive information obtained by Zoom News reveals that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) plans to address the formation of local governments in the disputed areas of Kurdistan, including Nineveh, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Diyala provinces, as a single package.
The recent replacement of Kurdish mayors in Khanaqin district’s Jabara and Gulala sub-districts with non-Kurdish individuals has raised concerns about the potential loss of Kurdish control over the district’s mayoral position, which had been held by Kurds since 2003.
In the Diyala provincial council elections on December 18, 2023, the Kurds, running with three lists, received about 31,000 votes but secured only one seat, which went to the PUK. This contrasts with the 2013 Diyala Governorate Council elections, where the Kurds won three out of 29 seats within the Fraternity and Coexistence Alliance. Two of these seats were held by the PUK and one by the KDP, giving the Kurds 11 percent of the seats and making them the third-largest force on the Council.
With reporting by Bryar Jaff, Zoom News reproter in Garmiyan area.
