Speaker Faiq opens spring session of Parliament, MPs hold second reading of anti-oil smuggling bill
Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Dr. Rewas Faiq on 1 March opened the spring session of Parliament by setting out recent legislative achievements and future priorities. She then presided over the second reading of the Bill on Combating Smuggling of Oil and Oil Products in Kurdistan Region.
Deputy Speaker Hemin Hawrami, Secretary Muna Kahveci, and the KRG Minister of the Region for Parliament Affairs, Dr. Vala Fareed, also attended the sitting.
MPs held a minute’s silence to honour all the martyrs of Kurdistan.
In her speech, Speaker Faiq gave an overview of Parliament’s work so far and future priorities, and said, “Today, the citizens of Kurdistan face the great challenge of preventing and limiting the spread of Coronavirus, which has taken hold in many countries.
The Speaker added, “At the same time, Kurdistan is at a junction, namely the formation of a new federal Iraqi government cabinet.”
On the Coronavirus, Speaker Faiq said, “We in the Kurdistan Parliament support the measures taken against the disease, and we urge all citizens of Kurdistan to follow the necessary guidelines to prevent its spread.”
Commenting on the formation of the federal government in Baghdad, she said, “The Kurdistan Parliament insists on the protection of Kurdistan Region’s constitutional rights and institutions, within the framework of federal Iraq. The Kurdistan Parliament considers the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad important, and they should be included in the new government's work plan.”
Speaker Faiq said that Parliament’s achievements in the autumn session were the Reform Law, the Anti-Narcotics Law, the Law on Ownership of Illegally Taken Land in Municipalities, as well as other important laws and decisions.
In this new session, the Speaker said, Parliament will coordinate with the government to work on legislation related to investment, the rights of patients, water conservation, border gates, protection of local products, a food and medicines administration board, and the import and sale of oil products.
Speaker Faiq called on the Kurdistan Regional Government to complete its drafting of a unified pensions bill. Currently there are several different pensions-related laws in force.
Regarding the spring session, the Speaker said, “We emphasize working collectively in Parliament and incorporating proposals for legislation into our program of work, and of course all members have the right to know the status of their proposals.”
MPs then held the detailed second reading of the Bill on Combating Smuggling of Oil and Oil Products. All the proposed articles were read, and members gave their critiques and suggestions on each article and on the bill as a whole. The relevant committees and the Legislative Committee were instructed to write a final report on the bill, after looking at all the comments and suggestions.