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Government calls for calm in Kirkuk amid protests and violence
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 01 - 08 - 2008

The Iraqi government Friday called on all parties
in the northern city of Kirkuk to remain calm, a day after Kurdish
councilors called for the city to become part of the largely
autonomous region of Kurdistan, according to dpa.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh urged people to obey the law
and the constitution and avoid any escalations that may damage
national unity.
"The Iraqi government stresses its rejection to any individual
step to change the situation in Kirkuk, and considers it illegal and
unconstitutional," he said in a statement.
Tensions have been rising over the city's fate, with many people
demonstrating against provincial elections law passed by the
parliament last week. Angry Kurds are objecting to the law which
calls for a secret ballot to decide a power-sharing arrangement in
the multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk.
"Only constitutional mechanisms and political consensus determine
Kirkuk's destiny. The government warns that any violation or security
disturbance committed by any armed group will be dealt with in all
firmness and force, according to the law," he was quoted as saying by
Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.
Al-Dabagh said people should not allow Iraq's "enemies" to make
use of the situation. Al-Qaeda has sought to exploit the divisions in
the city to fan tensions.
A bomb exploded Friday in Kirkuk targeting the motorcade of the
chief of the city's police. Chief Jamal Taher survived the attempt, a
security source said.
Last Monday, 22 people were killed and 150 injured when a suicide
bomber blew himself up among protestors.
In last week's parliament session, Kurdish lawmakers walked out in
protest at the law, but Iraqi legislature approved the law despite
the walkout.
Kurdish parliament members promised to have the law rewritten and
denounced the measure as "unconstitutional."
Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani Wednesday
announced the end of the current legislative term, noting that an
'extraordinary' session will be held Sunday to debate the
controversial elections law.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his concern
to Iraqi President Jalal Talbani late Thursday on Kurdish claims of
annexing Kirkuk to the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.
Kirkuk is the centre of the northern Iraqi petroleum industry. It
is a historically and ethnically mixed city populated by Assyrians,
Kurds, Arabs and Iraqi Turkmen. According to VOI, its population was
estimated at 1,200,000 in 2008.


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