In one of the most positive signs, the members of the Kirkuk Provincial Council from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) began attending meetings on Sunday, July 28, after boycotting the Council since 2017.

The Council met for the first time in April, but the KDP refused to attend.

Council of Representatives lawmaker Jamal Shkur told NRT Digital Media that, if there were no further disagreements, a new governor would be chosen at the start of next month.

The provincial council consists of 41 members, including those belonging to both the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

On July 11, the two parties announced that they had selected Tayib Jabar as their joint-nominee for the governorship after lengthy negotiations.

Kirkuk Provincial Council member Khalil Hadidi said the Council's members were ready and flexible for formal meetings to take place.

Additionally, there have also reportedly been a number of meetings between the ethnic components of the province with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) acting as convener.

Earlier this month, a senior UNAMI political official met with acting Kirkuk Governor Rakan al-Jubouri to discuss plans for the provincial elections and for an update on reconstruction efforts.

On July 23, the Council of Representatives passed a law setting April 2020 as the date for provincial elections across Iraq, including in Kirkuk.

However, not all parties are happy about the prospect.

KDP elections officer Khasraw Goran warned on Monday that, given the current environment, it would be dangerous to hold elections in Kirkuk given the weak position of the Kurds in the city.

He cited the displacement of ethnic Kurds from the city during the events of October 2017 as a contributing factor to that disadvantage.

He did, however, sound a positive note about the prospects of resolving disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil. Both federal Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani have made improving relations a top priority.

Reporter’s code: 50101