Summary of Committees’ recent meetings – 21 October 2019
A summary of Kurdistan Parliament committees' recent meetings and activities:
Legislative Committee
20 October - The committee led by chair Bizhar Kochar (KDP) held their weekly meeting and discussed the bill (draft law) on illegal use of municipal land. The committee needs to write a report on the bill which has had its first reading at a previous Parliament sitting.
The committee decided to hold a joint meeting with the Parliament’s Committee on Municipalities, Transport, Communication, Travel, Tourism, Reconstruction and Investment on 21st October to get more of their input on the bill. Then both committees will submit their joint report to Parliament’s Presidency so that the bill can go through its second reading at a future Parliament sitting. At the second reading of the bill, all MPs can give their opinions, comments and suggestions on each article of the bill and the bill as a whole.
16 October - The committee led by chair Bizhar Kochar held their weekly meeting and discussed three bills (draft laws) proposed by Parliament’s Presidency. The committee decided ask for only one of the bills to have its first reading at a parliament sitting. For the other two bills, the committee decided that they should be revised and that they should get the Kurdistan Regional Government's views on the details of the bills.
14 October - The committee led by chair Bizhar Kochar welcomed Slemani Platform Group, a civil society organisation. The group presented a project to the committee to end the legal vacuum around municipal councils and to solve their problems through legal channels. The committee thanked the group and said that in the near future they would work together with Parliament’s Municipalities Committee and coordinate with the Kurdistan Regional Government on a legal solutions for the municipal councils. No elections have been held for membership of municipal councils for many years, creating a legal vacuum around their work.
Committee on Kurdistani Areas outside KRG Administrative Area
14 October - The committee led by chair Jiwan Rojbayani (KDP) held their regular meeting. All the notes and reports sent to the committee were answered at the meeting. They also discussed the evaluation by Parliament’s presidency on committees’ performance and effectiveness. because of the recent demonstrations and unrest in Iraq, the committee did not send a delegation to Baghdad to work on the issues related to the disputed areas. The committee decided that some of their members must visit Baghdad for meetings whenever the situation there improves.
Health, Environment and Consumer Rights Committee
16 October - The committee led by chair Dr. Sabah Zebari (KDP) held their usual meeting. The MPs discussed the final draft of bill on patients’ rights and responsibilities. After some amendments, the bill will be submitted to Parliament’s Presidency. The committee also reviewed all the notes and requests submitted by the public and responded to them.
Energy, Natural Resources, Commerce and Industry Committee
16 October - The committee led by the chair Mr. Balen Ismail (Gorran, Change Movement) held their usual meeting. The committee discussed the bill (draft law) on adopting in the Kurdistan Region Iraq’s Law No. 9 of 2006 on the import and sale of petroleum products. They also discussed the government’s view on the bill. They decided to hold another meeting to prepare their report on the bill and submit the report to Parliament’s Presidency.