Committees' recent meetings - 4 January 2021
A summary of Kurdistan Parliament's committees' latest meetings and activities:
Committee on Protection of Women’s Rights
30 December 2020 – The committee issued the following statement congratulating Ms. Jamila Kakayi on being selected by the United Nations in a list of creative and successful woman in the Middle East:
We congratulate Ms. Jamila Kakayi on her selection by the United Nations as one of the creative and capable women in the Middle East in 2020.
A Kurdish woman of the Kakayi faith, Jamila Kakayi was able to overcome many hardships and obstacles to become recognized in 2020 for her achievements, and to work as a Human Rights Officer at the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
We wish Ms. Kakayi success in her position and we hope that in her role she will be able to work on women's rights.
Joint committee on demonstrations in Slemani, Halabja, Raparin and Garmian
23 December 2020 - A Parliamentary joint committee set up to look into the demonstrations in Slemani, Halabja, Raparin and Garmian met to discuss the findings of their visits and meetings in those areas, and to draft their report to Parliament’s Presidency on the steps that should be taken.
The joint committee is made up of MPs from the Legislative Committee, Social Affairs and Protection of Human Rights Committee, and Interior, Security and Local Councils Committee, and was set up at the request of Parliament’s Presidency.
The joint committee members on 21 December had met with the local administrations, political parties’ branches and with the families of persons tragically killed during the demonstrations.
Interior, Security and Local Councils Committee
23 December 2020 – The committee, led by the chair Shakhawan Rauf (Change), discussed their visits and meetings to investigate the recent demonstrations, as part of a joint committee set up by Parliament’s Presidency.
Members of the committee, as part of the joint committee, had visited Slemani, Halabja, Garmian and Raparin on 21 January, and decided to convey their findings to Parliament’s Presidency.
The committee also discussed and replied to the notes and demands sent to them by the public. Kurdistan Parliament’s Municipalities, Transport, Communication, Travel and Tourism Committee on 2 January met with owners of land in 8 Hasarok in Erbil, and heard their complaints about lack of basic services on the land.
Municipalities, Transport, Communication, Travel and Tourism Committee
2 January 2021 - The committee, led by the chair Luqman Wardy (PUK), met with residents on the site, which comprises more than 16,000 plots of land that have been distributed for more than 17 years but on which so far no services have been provided.
The MPs heard the demands of citizens and promised to raise them. Last year the committee wrote twice to the KRG Council of Ministers through Parliament’s Presidency, calling for the provision of water, water resources, electricity, roads and paving for the 8 Hasarok area, and reaffirming their support for the demands of the public.
24 December 2020 - To raise the problems and requests of the residents of the Korean Village residential complex on Sunday 24 December 2020, members of the committee, led by the chair Luqman Wardi (PUK), visited the Erbil municipal and investment authorities.
The committee said that the demands of the residents of Korean Village should be met.
The authorities said it has been decided that access to the Korean Village should stay as it is and should be dedicated solely to the complex, as there had been concerns that access would be moved to face the new 150-metre highway, or would be shared with Spanish Village residential complex.
The authorities said that the complex’s two drinking water wells will remain as they are and will be dedicated to the complex. They also said will look into the green spaces next to Korean Village over the next two weeks.
The committee stressed that work on the parts of the Spanish Village residential complex that is affecting Korean Village should be stopped.
The reconstruction and investment committee will investigate the reconstructed projects
Reconstruction and Investment Committee
23 December 2020 – The committee, led by the chair Hawre Mala Star (PUK), held their regular meeting.
The MPs discussed a report prepared by the committee’s advisers on their programme of work for the forthcoming spring session of Parliament.
The committee decided to carry out further investigation and scrutiny of projects that have not been completed and press for them to be finished soon, such as the roads between Kifri and Kalar, and Kifri and Darbandikhan, and unfinished housing projects.
The MPs decided to ask the KRG Minister for Housing and Reconstruction and the Head of the Investment Board for meetings soon.
The committee read all of the reports, notes and requests sent to them and responded or directed them to Parliament’s Presidency for the necessary work.
Endowments and Religious Affairs Committee
23 December 2020 – The committee, led by the chair Dr. Hawraman Gacheney (KIG), discussed the committee's latest meetings with each the ministries of endowments, higher education and education in which they raised the problems for religious schools’ students in Kurdistan Region and the academic titles of religious teachers with masters and doctoral degrees.
On the issues of awarding the academic title of Masters or Doctorate to supervisors, the committee suggested that the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs work on creating a special degree for religious teachers and employees of the ministry.
The committee expressed their support for the requests from the College of Islamic Sciences regarding their graduates.
The MPs suggested that next year a ceremony should be held to celebrate and give commendations for works written in Kurdish.