Governance in post-2003 Kirkuk : power-sharing in a divided society and prospects for consociational democracy

Abstract

This thesis explores how the problem of governance should be solved in the divided city of Kirkuk. As a microcosm of Iraq, Kirkuk has invariably refracted the overall climate of the country. Accordingly, one of the main problems of Kirkuk is its unresolved governance model that, if solved, could positively affect the political stability in the city. To solve this problem, this research suggests the adoption of a specific form of a consociational power-sharing arrangement. In the literature, a contrast is often drawn between ‘corporate’ and ‘liberal’ forms of consociations. However, this study argues that the adoption of a combination of both the corporate and the liberal forms of consociational power-sharing is crucial to addressing the demands of each ethnic group in the city and for maintaining political stability and diversity. But it also argues that building a lasting peace in Kirkuk cannot be achieved only by focusing on a top-down elite-level solution, rather bottom-up initiatives through creating bridging social capital at the grassroots level are necessary. In other words, it argues that the problem of governance can be solved in Kirkuk by taking advantage of the elements of two main theories of conflict management, accommodation (consociationalism) and integration (bridging social capital). This conclusion is based on two sources of evidence. First, the Iraqi legal documents such as the constitution and the laws issued by the Iraqi Council of Representatives, and secondly, empirical evidence collected from the political elites of Kirkuk, the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad.