Ninevah governor's election stirs Sunni split in Baghdad
The Ninevah Provincial Council has chosen a new governor close to the Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units, prompting objections from many Sunnis.
BAGHDAD — A heated gubernatorial election in Ninevah province has fired up division in Iraq's parliament, riling members of its largest Sunni alliance and portending changes in some key positions.
Out of the 39 members of the Ninevah Provincial Council, 28 voted May 13 to elect Mansour Marid as the new governor to succeed Nofal al-Akoub (also known as Nawfal Hammadi). The Iraqi parliament had dismissed Akoub after an overloaded ferry sank in March, killing about 100 people. He was accused of negligence and corruption.
Marid is a Sunni parliament member representing the Ataa Movement, headed by Falih al-Fayyad, who is also chairman of the mostly Shiite Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). Marid was elected after laborious negotiations between Shiites and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Massoud Barzani. The vast majority of Iraqi Kurds are Sunni Muslims. As a result of the negotiations, it was generally agreed that Marid’s first deputy would be Kurdish, and Sirwan Mohammad was elected.
The Halbusi and al-Hal blocs, headed by Jamal al-Karboli, supported the nomination of Ninevah council member Hussam al-Abbar for governor. However, the head of the Arab Project, Khamis al-Khanjar, and the leader of the National Axis Alliance, Ahmad al-Jubouri, supported Marid's nomination.
