KURDS' PUSH ON TAL ARTICLE 58 SPARKS TEMPORARY PROVINCIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIRKUK 000056

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

BAGHDAD FOR POL, POLMIL, NCT, ROL COORDINATOR, IRMO/IPCC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/9/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: KURDS' PUSH ON TAL ARTICLE 58 SPARKS TEMPORARY PROVINCIAL
COUNCIL BOYCOTT

REF: 05 KIRKUK 294

CLASSIFIED BY: Michael Oreste, Deputy PRT Team Leader, PRT
Kirkuk, DoS.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) SUMMARY. Kurds sprung a surprise proposal at the March
1 Kirkuk Provincial Council meeting to implement TAL article 58
at the provincial level. Turcoman and Arab PC members staged a
walkout to show their displeasure, but both sides sidestepped a
long-term boycott. END SUMMARY.

(SBU) KURDS MOVE TO HAVE KIRKUK IMPLEMENT TAL ARTICLE 58
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2. (C) At the March 1 meeting of the Kirkuk Provincial
Council, Kurdish members proposed that Kirkuk province aid
internally displaced persons (IDP's) under Transitional
Administrative Law (TAL) Article 58. The subject was not
scheduled on the normal agenda that was released several days
prior to meetings. The surprise move immediately angered all
non-Kurd-aligned PC members. The Kurds proposed giving the
IDP's preferential distribution of land for housing and aid in
obtaining basic services. The program also included
construction loans and special employment programs to hire
individuals that were displaced during the previous regime.

UNIFIED REJECTION BY ARAB AND TURCOMAN COUNCIL MEMBERS
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3. (C) Arab and Turcoman council members objected both to
making the agenda item a surprise and to discussing what they
saw as a national, not provincial, issue. When the (Kurdish) PC
Chair rejected their request to postpone debate, the Arab and
Turcoman members walked out of the session. The Kurdish
Brotherhood List holds 26 of the 41 seats on the council so the
Kurdish members were able to continue the meeting with a quorum.
When the session concluded the Arab and Turcoman members
delivered a memorandum objecting to the procedure but they
stayed to conduct unrelated council business. When questioned
on their respective positions, both sides used the constitution
to justify their actions.

COMMENT
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4. (C) The incident highlights Kurdish resentment at the pace
of "normalization" at the national level. The Kurdistan
Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have long run
major programs to settle Kurds into Kirkuk province; these
proposals would legitimate and expand this program to include
preferential employment practices and have the provincial
government fund these programs.


5. (C) The fact that the entire council returned to business
after the controversial session is a positive sign that
demonstrates an increased understanding of the democratic
process.

ORESTE