Parliament holds second reading of first amendments to Law on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Kurdistan Parliament on 6 July held a sitting for the second reading of three bills, including first amendments to the Law on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. MPs also passed the first amendments to the Law on Ownership of Illegally Taken or Used Land in Municipalities, with 68 votes in favour.
Speaker Rewaz Faiq presided over the sitting, with Deputy Speaker Hemin Hawrami and Secretary Muna Kahveci alongside her.
Vote on first amendments to the Law on Ownership of Illegally Taken or Used Land in Kurdistan Region’s Municipalities
With 68 votes in favour, MPs passed the first amendments to the Law on Ownership of Illegally Taken or Used Land in Kurdistan Region’s Municipalities (Law No. 3 of 2019). First the MPs voted on each amendment that had been proposed by MPs at the bill’s second reading on DATE, and also voted on the purpose of the bill and on the bill as a whole.
The Law comprises 12 articles and this first amendment was carried out to fill gaps in the law and to be of greater benefit to citizens who do not own land and to create a legal mechanism for those who have been forced to use to take land.
Presentation on higher education and scientific research by MP Zeydan Rashid Khan (KDP)
MP Dr. Zeydan Rashid Khan Bradosti (KDP), who was previously a university academic, presented his views on the problems with higher education and scientific research in Kurdistan Region, focusing on the quality of academics, public and private research institutions and study methods, the problems facing high school 12th grade students, the university admissions centre, the non-acceptance of Kurdish and Arabic and problems with the credits system, the lack of cooperation between the KRG and the Iraqi Federal Government and its impact on higher education, and the lack of scientific research in different fields. Mr. Bradosti made several recommendations on how to solve these problems to improve higher education.
Second readings of three bills
MPs held the second reading of the first amendments to the Law on Rights and Privileges of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs in Kurdistan Region - Iraq (Law No. 2 of 2011). Minister Kwestan Muhammad, Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, and Dr. Vala Fareed, Minister for the Region for Parliament Affairs, participated in the second reading.
The Social Affairs and Legislative Committees read each of the draft amended articles and MPs gave their comments and suggestions in detail. Minister Kwestan Muhammad and Minsiter Vala Fareed also made comments.
The purpose of the first amendments to the law is to meet international standards on the rights and privileges of persons with disabilities and persons with dwarfism, to provide job opportunities and develop services that are compatible with their circumstances and private lives, to guarantee their rights in healthcare, social care and education, and to eliminate the non-implementation of Law Number 22 of 2011.
Parliament held the second reading of the Bill on Application of the Iraq Stamp Duty Law, Law No. 71 of 2012, in Kurdistan Region – Iraq, with Minister Vala Fareed present. The Legislative and Financial committees read their report on the bill, with MPs giving their recommendations and comments on each article.
The purpose of the bill is to address the long period of time that has passed since Law No. 3 of 1993 (the Law on Stamp Duty in Kurdistan Region – Iraq), and to provide for the services that the government wants to develop, increase and improve, in light of the changes to the value of currency and in economic activity, and to harmonize stamp duty in Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Then the Legislative, Energy and Investment committees held the second reading of the Bill on Application of and amendments to the Law on Industrial Investment for Private and Mixed Sectors, amended Law No. 20 of 1998, in Kurdistan Region – Iraq, with Minister Vala Fareed present.
The purpose of the bill is to develop private and mixed sector industry in terms of quality and to strengthen investment in industrial production in the fields that are most important for Kurdistan Region’s economy, and to harmonize legal provisions in Kurdistan Region and Iraq on industrial investment.
At the close of the sitting Speaker Faiq announced, “At 1 pm on Thursday we will vote on the bills and legislative proposals that we have read in today's session”, and asked the standing committees to prepare their final reports on the bills ahead of the vote.