Parliament holds first reading of Reform Bill, passes Law on Regulation of Commercial Advertising
MPs of the Kurdistan Parliament convened on 16 December for the first reading of the Reform Bill. They also passed the Law on Regulation of Commercial Advertising, and began the second reading of the Anti-Narcotics Bill.
MPs vote in favour of expediting passage of Reform Bill
The Legislative Committee carried out the first reading of the Reform Bill, called the Bill on Reform of Pensions, Salaries, Allowances, Grants and Other Benefits.
Speaker Dr. Rewaz Faiq then asked the Legislative, Interior, Peshmerga, Finance and Martyrs’ Affairs committees and all MPs to work on the bill before its second reading at a future date.
Two MPs suggested that given the importance of the Reform bill to the public and in the national interest, the passage of the bill through Parliament should take place without undue delays. 85 MPs, a majority, voted in favour of expediting the bill’s passage.
MPs pass Law on Regulation of Commercial Advertising
The Legislative and other relevant committees presented the comments and suggestions that MPs had submitted on the Bill on Regulation of Commercial Advertising, and each suggestion was put to voting. MPs voted on each article of the bill, on the bill as a whole and on the purpose behind the legislation. A majority of MPs, 82 of the legislature’s 111 members, passed the bill as a whole.
The Law on Regulation of Commercial Advertising, which has 15 articles, was originally proposed by MPs. The purpose of the law is to ensure that commercial advertising serves consumers, boosts the economy and encourages market competition, and to reduce the detrimental and harmful aspects of commercial advertising. It is also intended to prevent false and misleading advertising.
Parliament begins second reading of Anti-Narcotics Bill
The Legislative and other relevant committees held the second reading of the Bill on Narcotics and the Dealers and Users of Narcotics. The Legislative Committee asked to hold the reading in closed session because of the sensitivity of the bill, which was put to a vote and agreed by 62 MPs.
The committees read out to MPs their joint report on redrafting the bill. Speaker Faiq proposed that the joint report be the basis for the debate and discussions at this sitting, which MPs agreed by a majority. MPs discussed the bill, with the KRG Health Minister Dr. Saman Barzinji observing and giving his opinions in part of the debate.
As MPs did not finish debating and proposing amendments to the details of the bill, Speaker Faiq announced that the second reading will continue at a sitting on Wednesday 18 December.
