Committees’ recent meetings – 29 September 2020
Committees’ recent meetings – 29 September 2020
A summary of Kurdistan Parliament committees’ recent meetings and activities:
Health, Environment and Consumer Rights Committee
27 September – The committee formed a sub-committee to look into forest fires on the Slemani-Tasluja road. A delegation led by vice-chair Dr. Shayan Askari (Gorran), visited Slemani province and were welcomed by the Governor Dr. Haval Abubakir.
The committee expressed their concern about the destruction of a large number of trees and asked the Governor to clarify the cause of the fires.
Governor Abubakir said that every year there are fires with different causes in different areas that are harming the environment, and he assured the MPs that the authorities have started detailed investigations. Anyone found to be negligent or responsible for the fire will be dealt with, he said.
The committee also met with Slemani provincial council to discuss the fires, and they also brought up other issues related to the committee's remit.
The committee will continue to investigate environmental problems and the causes of fires. Every year in Kurdistan Region a large number of green zones and trees are destroyed, with different causes, and so far authorities have not found a way to prevent the fires.
Committee on Kurdistani Areas outside KRG Administrative Area
27 September - The committee, led by the chair Jiwan Rojbayani (KDP) met with officials from the British Consulate General in Erbil: Project manager Tom Hyde, and political affairs official Salar Amin.
The committee and British Consulate General officials discussed the latest developments in the Kurdistani areas outside the KRG administrative area, including Kirkuk and Khanaqin, how to build more cooperation between the KRG and the Iraqi federal government and how to normalize the situation in those areas.
The meeting also discussed how Iraq’s parliamentary elections will be held, which are now a source of much debate among Iraqi political parties, and they discussed how voting will be conducted in those areas.
Social Affairs and Protection of Human Rights Committee
23 September – Members of the committee, led by the chair Romeo Hakari (National Union Coalition), visited Erbil prison and met with the prison management.
The prison’s director explained the death of an inmate on 18 September 2020, who was jailed on terrorism charges. He was believed to have a heart condition, and the coroner’s report is expected next week.
The director gave his suggestions to the committee on how to improve the prison and conditions for inmates, and asked the committee to convey them to the relevant authorities.
Mr Hakari briefed the prison’s management about the committee’s continued efforts to improve prison conditions. The committee has visited prisons in all three govenorates, and on 16 September presented its report to MPs at a Parliament sitting, with the KRG Minister of Social Affairs also present.
24 September – MPs from the committee, led by Zekri Zebari (PUK), visited Erbil Directorate of Detention and Transport Police.
The committee met with the director, Colonel Khasro Ghazi, to discuss the problems faced by the departments within the administration. The directorate made several requests and suggestions.
Mr Zebari MP explained the committee's monitoring and follow-up on upholding human rights and their aim to improve conditions for detainees and prison inmates in Kurdistan Region.
The Parliament committee and the directorate discussed the Health Ministry’s measures for containing the Coronavirus, and the MPs visited all parts of the prison.
The committee met with detainees and promised to convey their demands and problems to the authorities.
27 September – The committee, led by the chair Romeo Hakari (National Union Coalition), met with the Institute for International Law and Human Rights (IILHR), a legal consultancy, to discuss the legal rights and privileges of people with disabilities in the Kurdistan Region. They met with the executive director William Spencer, head of the team Robin L. Ghazi, and director of the Iraqi office Najm al-Khafaji.
The discussions focused on existing legislation and how to meet disabled persons’ needs to international standards in Kurdistan Region. Mr. Spencer said that IILHR is drafting a report on the subject. The committee and IILHR decided to have more meetings.
Endowments and Religious Affairs Committee
23 September – Members of the committee, led by vice-chair Mala Ihsan Rekani (KDP), visited the Ministry of Education to discuss the problems facing students from religious studies (Islamic) high schools.
The committee told KRG Education Minister Alan Hama Saeed that religious studies (Islamic) schools play a very important role in educating future religious teachers and promoting patriotic, moderate and tolerant ideologies in the Kurdistan Region.
The MPs said that the religious studies schools have not been given enough attention, and that their graduates’ lack of access to universities and higher education institutes should be addressed.
The Parliament committee and the ministry officials agreed to work on the issue, so that students from religious studies schools can enter universities and institutes to continue their education.
Under Law No. 9 of 1997, religious studies (Islamic) high schools are accredited by the Ministry of Education. Despite this, their graduates are not getting equal opportunities for places at universities and higher education institutes. Over the past weeks the committee has held meetings and visits to look into problem.
27 September - The committee, led by the vice-chair Mala Ihsan Rekani (KDP), On 27-9-2020, a delegation of the Endowment and Religious Affairs Committee, led by deputy chair Mullah Ihsan Muhammad Salim, visited Aydin Maruf Salim, the Minister for the Region for Ethnic and Religious Communities’ Affairs.
The committee reiterated their support for Kurdistan Region’s peaceful coexistence between different religious and ethnic communities. The MPs said that the foundation of the Kurdistan Parliament is the idea of peaceful coexistence, which is enshrined in laws and resolutions, the most important of which is the 1992 Kurdistan Parliament Election Law No. 1 that guarantees the rights of Kurdistan Region’s ethnic and religious communities, as well as Law No. 5 of 2015, which guarantees their right to executive positions within all institutions in the Kurdistan Region.
The committee and Minister Maruf agreed on working together more to cement and further promote peaceful coexistence in Kurdistan Region.