SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region—The new governor of Sulaimani from the Change Movement (Gorran) is to assume his post this week as he was officially endorsed by the Kurdish prime minister on Monday. He hopes that the government will help him succeed.
Haval Abubakir was supposed to become governor last year according to an agreement between his party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) that stipulated each party would hold the post every two years though the process was delayed due to disagreements.
Abubakir told Rudaw that he was ready to assume the post and start as governor.
“As Gorran’s candidate of choice and with the support of people and the provincial council I’m ready to accept that task,” he said.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani is expected to confirm Abubakir in his post today.
The prime minister received the power to endorse governors from President Masoud Barzani who resigned from his post in late October.
The KRG Interior Minister had sent its own approval of Abubakir to the prime minister’s office last week.
Abubakir said he hoped that following his assuming office the “government will support me so that I can serve Sulaimani,”
Abubakir’s approval was made easy by the fact that his party recently held talks with PM Barzani and the KRG on finding a way out of the current political deadlock.
In the 2013 elections Abubakir won the majority of votes but deep political disputes between the PUK and Gorran prevented from becoming governor.
