Referendum on Kirkuk delayed for at least six months
Iraqi leaders and Kurdistan premier agreed to extend the work of the High Committee for Implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution for another six months, according to a UN press release. Article 140 called for the people to vote on the status of oil rich city by December 31, 2007; however, there were too many “technical difficulties,” but also too many conflicting interests.
Baghdad (AsiaNews) – The controversial referendum on the status of Kirkuk will be held no earlier than June, 2008, not by the end of this year as required by the Iraq Constitution. This is the conclusion of the press release from the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI): government officials in Kurdistan and Baghdad have decided to extend the mission of the High Committee for Implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution for another six months. The mission of the Committee expires on December 31, 2007, but “in view of the technical and logistical difficulty of holding a referendum prior to 31 December 2007, …it has been indicated to UNAMI that the next best step would be to initiate, in January 2008, and within six months, a process of facilitating the implementation of the Article with technical assistance of the United Nations (UNAMI/Baghdad) to the authorities involved.” In short: there will be no going to the polls at least until next June.
Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution is related to the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk, an important and mixed city of Kurds, Turkmen, Christians and Arabs. The plebiscite is to decide whether the city will be annexed to the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan or will form part of a province under the administration of the central government. In addition, the same article promises to remove – with compensation – the colonies of Arabs established by Saddam Hussein, and to bring the Kurds back to the city. However, there is too much at stake, and the prospect of an election frightens many. The problem is related to energy resources. Kirkuk is developing over the second oil field of Iraq and possesses 70 per cent of the nation’s natural gas deposits. The risk is that if it is the Kurds who will administer the city after the popular consultation, they would have a vital resource sufficient to guarantee their possible independence from the rest of Iraq. This is a prospect that Turkey and Iran would vehemently oppose, fearful that it may stoke nationalist fervour among Kurdish peoples living within their borders. The vote is also opposed by the Arab communities which populate the city. Even the United States is hesitant, fearful of an outbreak of violence in the presently peaceful north of Iraq.
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See also
Nouri al-Maliki and the conundrum of Kirkuk
31/12/2009
31/12/2009
Ethnic tension on the rise in Kirkuk
08/02/2007
08/02/2007
