Kurdistan TV reported that, under the new decision, all procedures to make Qaratepe a district have been annulled, and the area will remain a subdistrict of Khanaqin in Diyala Governorate. The Iraqi Supreme Administrative Court also stressed that, as an established legal principle, no changes or alterations may henceforth be made to the administrative boundaries of areas falling within the framework of Article 140 of Iraq’s Constitution.
The reversal comes after Hadi al-Amiri, in his capacity as secretary-general of the Supreme Committee for the Implementation of Article 140 at the Council of Ministers, had formally asked the Iraqi Supreme Administrative Court to prevent Diyala Governorate from making Qaratepe a district.
The letter warned that the areas of (Khanaqin, Jalawla, Saadiya, Qaratepe, Jabara, Mandali, Kifri) in Diyala Governorate are disputed territories, and that any alteration to their boundaries or administrative status would lead to demographic change. It added that, according to a ruling by the Federal Supreme Court, Article 140 remains in force, and no administrative changes may be made before the article is fully implemented.
