Impasse reached over appointment of Salahudin governor

Salahudin provincial council has rejected a request from the president’s office to reopen nominations to elect a replacement for Ahmed Al-Juburi, insisting that Juburi meets the legal criteria for assuming office.

On February 15, the office of President Latif Rashid wrote to the Salahudin provincial council informing them that it had declined to sign a presidential decree on the appointment of Ahmed Al-Juburi as the new governor of Salahudin. Juburi, who is commonly known as Abu Mazin, is a sitting MP and head of the Jamahir Party who was elected governor on February 4.

Rashid’s office noted that it had taken the decision on the basis that Juburi has a criminal record and is currently being investigated on new allegations of corruption. Both the electoral law and the provincial powers law state that governors must enjoy a reputation of “sound conduct” in order to be eligible for the position.

Juburi was convicted of corruption in 2015 while he was serving as governor of Salahudin and sentenced to a jail term, but was released a year later as part of a general amnesty. However, new allegations of corruption have emerged in recent years and investigations are currently ongoing.