![File photo shows Haval Abubakir [C], a Gorran candidate for the position of the governor of Sulaimani, speaks at a press conference in Sulaimani following the death of the party's founder Nawshirwan Mustafa in May 2017. Photo: Rudaw TV](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.rudaw.net%2Fs3%2Frudaw.net%2FContentFiles%2F338852Image1.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Gorran, whose main stronghold is in Sulaimani, is making preparations to retake the position of city's governor from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). This comes after Masoud Barzani announced the end of his presidency of the Kurdistan Region, handing over his powers to other regional institutions on Nov. 1, including the power to approve governors.
Gorran, Kurdistan's second-largest party, had refused to seek the approval of President Barzani since it regarded his term in office that expired in August 2015 but was extended as illegitimate.
“It is our right to have this position and we will take it back. Dr. Haval Abubakir will become governor of Sulaimani,” a Gorran official said.
Abubakir is a popular figure in Gorran who collected hundreds of thousands of votes when he headed the party's campaign in Sulaimani.
According to the 2009 law that sets the rules for the Kurdish provincial council, a decree should be issued by the presidency of the Kurdistan Region in order for a governor to assume office.
In the past, Gorran on several occasions had declared that Barzani’s term had expired. Hence, they were not prepared to recognize a decree issued by the presidency so Abubakir could become governor of Sulaimani.
Dr. Ismael Namiq, coordinator of the office of law and member of Gorran’s National Assembly, told Rudaw that they are making preparations to once again to assume the position of Sulaimani governor and finish relevant legal procedures of this matter.
“Having this position is a legal right of Gorran. Haval Abubakir should have been governor of Sulaimani in the first two years following the elections had it not been for the problem of presidential decree and the illegality of Barzani’s position,” Namiq said.
Namiq thinks that this obstacle no longer exists for Abubakir to assume office as governor.
The position of Sulaimani governor has been a contentious political and legal matter between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Gorran since 2014. Three people have so far held the position of Sulaimani governor since the elections were last held. And now the fourth governor is expected to assume office.
“We will in no way give up on this position. Dr. Haval should assume office as governor because he was elected by the majority of the electorate,” Namiq added.
However, this majority wasn’t enough for Abubakir to be governor three years ago as the PUK was not prepared to hand over the position of Sulaimani governor to Gorran. Gorran officials couldn’t convince the PUK that they won in Sulaimani’s provincial election and that they were therefore entitled to hold this post.
Gorran finally agreed to sign a political agreement to run the provinces of Sulaimani and Halabja, such that the position of Sulaimani governor be given to the PUK and that of Halabja to Gorran in the first two years after the elections, and then swap them for the remaining two years.
File photo shows a campaign poster by the PUK that reads the people of Sulaimani deserve a governor whose past is "clean," a reference to an accusation they made against Gorran candidate Haval Abubakir that he used to be a Ba'ath party member. Abubakir denied the accusation. Photo: Rudaw/Sartip Othman
Salma Fatih, member of Sulaimani provincial council with the PUK, dismissed claims that the PUK was not prepared to hand the position of governor over to Gorran.
“We held a council meeting and voted for Haval Abubakir to become governor of Sulaimani a while back, and we will not renege on this vote,” Fatih said.
“If the PUK leadership or politburo had any objections to this, they would have informed us. But the PUK hasn’t told us anything about this matter so far,” Fatih added.
The PUK committed to the agreement it signed with Gorran, therefore handed the position of governor to Gorran after two years of running it. But Gorran refused to take this position as assuming the office of governor required a presidential decree signed by the presidency.
Gorran therefore found another way, appointing someone else, Sardar Qadir, on behalf of the governor. But he soon left his post.
Then, Kurdistan Regional Government Deputy Prime Minister submitted a letter to the interior ministry on May 9 and appointed Omar Qaladizaye as acting governor of Sulaimani replacing Qadir.
Rudaw contacted Abubakir several times, but he refused to comment on whether or not he will now be assuming the position. However, he stressed that he was elected governor by the people and it is Gorran’s right to assume this position.
Some sources from Gorran have said that they will be settling the question whether they will be once again assuming this position and whether Abubakir will be taking on the position, if they do.
“Haval Abubakir didn’t participate in 11 provincial council meetings. He took leave in all meetings, although he is still a member of Sulaimani’s provincial council,” Fatih said, adding that he will be governor until June 23, 2018 “because the term of the provincial council will be over from then on. Either the parliament should extend the term, or provincial elections should be held alongside parliamentary elections.”
