Many withdraw from Mosul poll, council elected

As the delegations chose their representatives, many of them announced that they were withdrawing from the election in protest that delegates were divided along ethnic lines.

According to US Major General David Petraeus, in charge of US forces in northwest Iraq, the protesting delegates were radical Islamists who did not believe in representative government.

However, amid applause from the assembled delegates, the 24 council members were sworn in by Mosul’s Chief Judge. ‘‘We swear to preserve the unity of this land and protect its interests,’’ the council members said.

‘‘By being here today you are participating in the birth of the democratic process in Iraq,’’ Petraeus said at the opening ceremony. ‘‘This is an historic occasion and an important step forward for Mosul and Iraq.’’

‘‘People are watching this closely, although there are different dynamics in each city. These people are recognised as leaders by their groups even if they are not elected and it is quite an achievement to have reached this stage in 12 days,’’ said US Military spokesman Major Trey Cate.

The three candidates for mayor are Ghanam al-Basso, a former general whose brother was killed by Saddam, medical doctor Hudaifa al-Dawachi, and a former chief of police, Tariq Mutab. All three are Sunni Arabs from Mosul.

‘‘We have gone through difficult times and we need to establish order urgently,’’ said British-educated al-Dawachi.

Among those observing the election was Mishaan al-Jiburi, a controversial figure who declared himself the local governor after US and Kurdish forces entered the city. However, a meeting he organised turned violent and he failed to win official recognition.

‘‘I liberated this city and I am the governor, but I will be handing over power today to the new mayor,’’ al-Jiburi said before talking of plans to lead his party in Baghdad.

US military officials have said it could be up to two years before regular elections are held, based on experiences elsewhere in the world.

The council consists of seven Arabs, three Kurds, two Assyrian Christians, one Turkmen and one Shebak from inside the city, and six Arabs, one Yezidi and one Assyrian Christian from outside the city, along with two former generals.

Mosul is mainly Arab with a large Kurdish minority as well as Turkmens, Assyrians and other groups. The ethnic mix fuelled fears of factional fighting last month, but military officials are now holding it up as ‘‘model city’’. (Reuters)