2 days ago
Iraq moves to balance Kirkuk election office with Turkmen staff
Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani approved a request to transfer Turkmen employees to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) office in Kirkuk, aiming to ensure balanced representation in the province's November elections.
MP Arshad al-Salihi told Shafaq News that he had submitted an official request to the prime minister to reassign employees from various departments to the Kirkuk electoral office 'to promote fairness and neutrality in the elections.'
A statement from al-Salihi's office emphasized that the move addresses repeated complaints about insufficient Turkmen representation and aims to secure equity within the electoral commission.
While the PM's directive has reached most ministries, al-Salihi noted that some departments have yet to implement the order, but expects it to be completed in the coming days.
The lawmaker's office also encouraged employees to submit official transfer requests through their administrative channels, assuring that these will be handled according to legal and administrative procedures.
Turkmen, estimated at 2 to 3 million, are Iraq's third-largest ethnic group after Arabs and Kurds. While communities are spread across northern and central provinces—including Nineveh, Saladin, Diyala, and Baghdad—Kirkuk remains the focal point of their political struggle.
The oil-rich city, also contested by Kurds and Arabs, is regarded by many Turkmen as its cultural and historical capital.
