The Iraqi Ministry of Planning released a statement regarding the granting of district status to the town of Gulale and the related ministerial directive.
Accordingly, the Acting Minister of Planning, Dr. Khalid Bateel Najm, issued administrative ministerial instruction No. 21101 to grant district status to Gulale, despite signatures collected by the Diyala Provincial Council opposing the move.
The statement noted that Gulale would be affiliated with the Directorate of Administrative Units of the Republic of Iraq, describing the step as one aimed at strengthening administrative organization and supporting the city’s regional development needs.
The decision has been met with opposition from some Kurds and Arabs. Gulale is among the areas covered by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution whose status has not yet been determined. This designation derives from Article 140 of the 2005 Iraqi Constitution, which was adopted to determine the administrative status of disputed territories such as Kirkuk, Diyala, Mosul, and Salahaddin. The decision to grant district status without consulting the Kurdish population living in Gulale is considered contrary to the anticipated agreement between Kurds and Arabs.
Yesterday, nine members of the Diyala Provincial Council collected signatures opposing the decision to grant district status to Gulale and called for its annulment.
Located in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq), Gulale—also known as Jalawla—is affiliated with the Khanaqin district. Administratively tied to Diyala, the town of Gulale had a population composed of 70 percent Kurds according to the 1975 census.
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