ERBIL — The head of the Kirkuk branch of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has called for the postponement of the Iraqi general census process until after the implementation of Article 140. He also urged Kurdish displaced persons from Kirkuk currently living in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah to return to the city.

Mohammad Kamal, the head of the KDP branch in Kirkuk, told reporters at a press conference on Monday that the situation in Kirkuk should not be rushed and that the general census should be conducted in the province, which is a disputed area.

"We call for this process to be postponed and not rushed, because Article 140 has not been implemented," Kamal stated.

He added that if the displaced people do not return to their homes, they will lose their rights to food assistance from the oil department and all other forms of support.

The head of the KDP office in the disputed city also mentioned that, according to the procedures and guidelines for the general census, three families have the opportunity to register at one address.

Kamal used the example of Zartik village in Kirkuk to illustrate the impact of Arabization on a Kurdish-majority village.

"Until 1988, when the village was destroyed, there was not a single Arab household. Now, as we approach the census, about 28 Arab households and eight Kurdish households have been registered, while more than 250 indigenous families from the village are scattered across the Kurdistan Region. Instead of them, a number of Arab families have been registered in their place, which poses a real threat to Kurds during the census," Kamal explained.

"We urge citizens to return to Kirkuk and their hometowns before October 5th, register with one of their relatives or acquaintances to avoid the curfew, and participate in the census," the KDP official pleaded with the Kurds of Kirkuk who reside outside the province.

Last week, the Kurdistan Region’s Board for Disputed Territories raised concerns about the upcoming Iraqi general census, particularly in disputed areas.

The census is scheduled for November 20, 2024, and the Board expressed apprehensions about the process and skepticism regarding the intentions of the Iraqi federal government.