Kurdistan Regional body rejects Kirkuk governor's call to scrap constitutional article

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Kurdistan Regional Government's general body has rejected remarks by Kirkuk Governor Mohammed Seman Agha calling for the repeal of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, saying the provision remains the constitutional roadmap for resolving disputed areas including Kirkuk and must be applied within the federal system. In a written statement, the body said the constitution is the foundation of Iraq's political system and that language contrary to Article 140 would deepen existing disputes. It also warned that the governor's comments risk fueling mistrust among Kirkuk's components and diverting attention from the city's service problems, calling instead for stability, reconciliation and joint work. Agha had said several days earlier that the state erred in introducing Article 140 and that the article's timeframe had expired. The body urged that peaceful coexistence in Kirkuk be preserved and stressed that the article should be implemented as written. Kirkuk was administered jointly by Erbil and Baghdad until the 2017 independence referendum. Iraq's Federal Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that Article 140 remained in force.