Arab political council refuses to divide Kirkuk into 2 constituencies

KIRKUK / IraqiNews.com: The Arab political council in Kirkuk refused on Tuesday to divide the oil-rich province into two constituencies, considering the proposal as “unfair”. At a press conference in Kirkuk, the council’s members demanded to check out the voter records from 2004. “Three options were advanced relating to Kirkuk: postponing elections there, using voter records from 2004, or separating the province into two electoral constituencies,” MP from the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), Abdulhadi al-Hassani, told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Arabs look forward to hold elections but not on that base. We are sure there are violations and fake at the voter records,” Ali Hussein from the Arab political council said. The Kurds, who form the majority of the population in Kirkuk, have long demanded that the province be incorporated in their autonomous region in the north despite the opposition of its Arab and Turkmen communities. The political deadlock threatens the poll as the electoral law is supposed to be in place 90 days before voting takes place. Constitutionally, the election must be held by January 31. SH (P) 1