ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Omed Khoshnaw, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc in Kurdistan parliament, was elected as the 42nd governor of Erbil on Monday, following the untimely death of the province’s last governor due to coronavirus in November.
Khoshnaw, 43, was chosen over two other nominees, after winning 18 votes out of the 23 who attended the 30-member provincial council meeting. Members belonging to the Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and Gorran didn’t attend the meeting. Members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) attended the meeting, but abstained.
“We, as the PUK, would have liked non-majoritarian voting, but consensus voting … because the Kurdistan Region needs more unity,” Rebaz Berkoti, head of the PUK bloc in the Erbil provincial council said during the meeting. “In this situation, it [consensus voting] would have prevented cracks in the unity of Kurds, that would prevent enemies from taking advantage of them.”
Berkoti also added that they hope that the new governor would bring “happiness to the people and Erbil, so they can live with more political stability.”
Khoshnaw comes into the position after the death of Erbil’s young governor Firsat Sofi on November 18, who died at a hospital in Ankara after contracting the virus.
Before coming into leadership positions in the KDP, the new governor worked as a journalist. He holds a BA in Media and Communication and a MA in Public Law.
“We will reassure the people of Erbil province, in every city and area, that we have one aim. We want to change the title of “governor” to “servant” proudly … it’s a great honor to serve the people of our city and country,” Khoshnaw said in a speech after being voted into the position.
He added that after he is sworn in, “which party we work for and which party we will be the candidates of” will be over, and Erbil will be served “with no difference.”
Khoshnaw also visited the grave of the late governor following the meeting to pay his tributes.
