The Prime Minister of Iraq on Thursday called for a much awaited formation of the Kirkuk local government with the participation of all the province’s different ethnic components.

Seven months after Iraq held provincial elections, no consensus has been achieved between the different ethnic components of Kirkuk in electing a new governor and head of the provincial council.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday met with representatives of the province’s Arab components, during which Sudani stressed the importance of completing the local government formation “ensuring the effective participation of everyone, and not marginalizing any component in decision-making”.

Sudani said that “the government's success in holding local elections in Kirkuk, after the inability to conduct them since 2005, represents an important step on the way to consolidating stability in the province.”

There has been a political stalemate in Kirkuk for the past seven months since elections were held, with no clear plan as to who will govern the province.

Sudani earlier this month called on the provincial council to hold its first meeting on July 11 where members were sworn in, giving them exactly one month to elect a governor.

The PUK managed to gain five seats in the ethno-diverse province of Kirkuk. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) gained two seats, raising the total Kurdish seats to seven out of the provincial council’s 16 seats.

Arab parties gained six seats in the elections, while the Turkmen gained two.

The Kurds lost control over the position following the events of October 16, 2017, where the Iraqi government entered Kirkuk using military force.

Sunni Arabs in the province appointed interim governor Rakan al-Juboori to replace the late Najmaddin Karim, who was appointed by the PUK.