The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Monday voiced concerns over the circumstances in which Kirkuk’s governor and local cabinet were elected, deeming it as contrary to the law.

In a statement, the KDP’s spokesperson Mahmood Mohammed said that even though their party did not believe that the election results were a reflection of the true will of Kirkuk’s people, they had set this cancern aside for the greater good in the province.

“What happened on October 10 in Baghdad’s Al-Rashid Hotel in electing governor and the local government of Kirkuk without informing all parties and in the absence of Turkmen representatives, some Arab representatives, and the KDP, is illegal and has issues,” read the statement from Mohammed.

“We believe that what has been done does not have the capacity to become a proper solution to Kirkuk’s problems,” he added.

Political leaders from Kirkuk held a late-night meeting Saturday at the Al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad to select a new governor and council president. 

The session, attended by three Arab members, one Babylon Movement member, and five Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was initially scheduled for 8 pm, but was delayed due to last-minute discussions at the home of former Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi.

During the meeting, attended by only nine members of the council, PUK candidate Rebwar Taha was elected for governor, and Arab Bloc member Mohammed Hafiz was elected for council president.

Soon after the meeting and the election of governor, PUK chief Bafel Talabani was seen posing with Babylon Movement's Rayan al-Kildani and Asaib Ahl al-Haq's Qais al-Khazali, a close friend of both, for a photo celebrating the election of Taha.

The Sovereignty Party in Kirkuk issued a statement Sunday asserting the right of Kirkuk's Arabs to the governor's position following the recent local election results, in which the party secured four out of the six seats won by the Arab bloc. 

Despite an agreement to boycott the local government formation session, some party members attended.

The party claimed that the new local government was formed in violation of the law and regulations, lacking legal legitimacy due to several breaches, including the failure to submit a written request to the senior council member and the session being held outside the province without security justification.

Hassan Turan, head of the Turkmen Front in Iraq, criticized the process for violating Article 13 of the Provincial Council Election Law, which mandates fair power distribution among all communities in Kirkuk. 

He condemned the decision to hold the election in Baghdad without Turkmen participation, and deemed it as illegal.