PRT KIRKUK: PROGRESS ON RECONCILIATION AS NEW ARAB

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000127 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ SUBJECT: PRT KIRKUK: PROGRESS ON RECONCILIATION AS NEW ARAB DEPUTY GOVERNOR SWORN IN REF: A. 07 BAGHDAD 4208 ¶B. 07 BAGHDAD 4008 Classified By: Kirkuk PRT Leader Howard Keegan for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) This is a Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) message. ¶1. (U) Summary: Rakan Al-Jabouri assumed the office of Deputy Governor for Kirkuk Province on January 15. Twenty out of 26 Provincial Council members voted in favor of Rakan while another six members submitted blank ballots. The naming of an Arab Deputy Governor in the predominantly Kurdish province of Kirkuk is part of the agreement that in December ended the Arab Bloc's one-year boycott of the Provincial Council (represented by the Iraqi Republican Gathering) and is an important advancement in local reconciliation. End Summary. -------------- -------------- Signs of Reconciliation: Arab Assumes The Office Of Kirkuk Deputy Governor -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) On January 15, Rakan Al-Jabouri assumed the office of Deputy Governor for Kirkuk Province (aka Tameem province). Of 26 Provincial Council members present from the Kirkuk Brotherhood League (KBL) and the Iraqi Republican Gathering (IRG),20 votes were cast in favor of Rakan while 6 members turned in blank ballots. The event was widely publicized by local media. Key speakers repeatedly noted and appreciated the efforts of the PRT in support of this historic moment. More than two hundred Iraqi citizens attended the event, including community and tribal leaders. ¶3. (U) Chairman of the Provincial Council Rizgar Ali (KBL) remarked during the opening speech that the nomination of Rakan to the position of Deputy Governor was part of the KBL,s agreement with the IRG to end the year-long IRG boycott of the Provincial Council (reftels). Rizgar remarked that the occasion symbolized their efforts to obtain a joint administration for Kirkuk Province. Of note, he also expressed his desire that the reputation of Kirkuk Province "not be based on oil but on the various ethnic groups living in peace." ¶4. (U) Kirkuk Governor Mustafa also stressed the importance of the occasion. He emphasized the need for the Deputy Governor and all political leaders of the province to work together for the benefit of all the people of Kirkuk, without discrimination based on ethnicity or religion. The Governor �0A;joined other leaders calling on the Turkman Bloc to end their boycott and rejoin the political process (Note: The Turkman Bloc has been boycotting the Provincial Council for a year. The PRT is facilitating negotiations with the goal of bringing them back to the PC Chambers. End Note). The Governor has long complained of the need for a Deputy Governor to assist him with his workload. -------------- Provincial Council Vote: A Sign of Democracy In Action -------------- ¶5. (U) A Kirkuk judge was then introduced to supervise the vote of the Provincial Council members. Chairman Rizgar symbolically appointed a representative from the KBL and the IRG to witness the vote tabulation. These witnesses, both PC members, watched carefully as each ballot was retrieved from the transparent box and opened by the judge prior to being read aloud for all those present. Upon completion of the vote tabulation, Rakan was sworn in as Deputy Governor by the presiding judge. In his acceptance speech, Rakan thanked the Provincial Council for electing him as Deputy Governor, adding that he was honored by their vote. Rakan echoed the sentiments expressed by Governor Mustafa for the Turkman Bloc to end their boycott and return to the Provincial Council. ¶6. (U) KBL bloc leader Mohammad Kamal congratulated Deputy Governor Rakan, emphasizing the importance of upholding the Iraqi Constitution, including the implementation of Article ¶140. A representative of the Arab Bloc, Abdullah Sami, also congratulated Deputy Governor Rakan and said he prayed that the problems of Kirkuk Province be solved through peaceful means. Abdullah Sami urged the Deputy Governor to treat everyone fairly, without distinction of ethnicity. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) While an important advancement toward BAGHDAD 00000127 002 OF 002 reconciliation, especially in light of Article 140 considerations, the new Deputy Governor must walk a fine line in future months. The naming of an Arab Deputy Governor in Kirkuk Province was a difficult feat that came about only after months of negotiations between the KBL and the IRG and much encouragement and guidance provided by the PRT. While the PRT considers this an advancement towards reconciliation, Rakan will have to walk a fine line between appeasing the approximately 50 percent Kurdish majority while also addressing the issues of interest to the approximately 30 percent Arab population, namely employment generation and the addressing the shortage of basic services in the rural areas of the province. ¶8. (SBU) The PRT envisions the Deputy Governor,s portfolio will include security as an important component. The IRG and other Arab leaders have long sought to address several security issues, including the return of Kirkuk Province Arab detainees to Kirkuk Province as well as speedier trials for those detained. Given that Deputy Governor Rakan is from the Haweja District (one of the key Arab areas in western Kirkuk),he is expected to use his influence to help stabilize the security in the Arab areas. The next step in local reconciliation is to get the Turkman Bloc back on the Provincial Council. They have been boycotting it for a year. During her recent visit the Secretary urged them to end the boycott and the PRT is facilitating negotiations. In the negotiations, the main outstanding issues involve reconciling Turkman bloc proposals on such issues as making Turkmani an official language in Kirkuk and allocation of key government positions, including 32% of directors general slots in Kirkuk, with what the KBL is willing to concede. End Comment. CROCKER