Committees' recent meetings - 14 March 2021

A summary of Kurdistan Parliament committees' recent meetings and activities:

Reconstruction and Investment Committee

28 February- The Committee, led by chair Hawre Mala Star (PUK), held their regular meeting.

The committee responded to the memos and letters sent to them and then discussed a schedule of visits to investment projects specific to the General Directorate of Investment in Erbil.

They also planned visits to all investment projects throughout Kurdistan and residential housing unit projects.

The chair of the committee emphasized that their investigations will focus on all projects in order to solve the public’s problems.

Interior, Security and Local Councils Committee

28 February - The committee, led by chair Shakhawan Rauf Beg (Change), held their weekly meeting.

All the reports and requests sent to the committee were read and answered, and the others were directed to Parliament’s Presidency for resolution. The committee decided to form several subcommittees to follow up the cases.

Another topic of the meeting was to discuss the current situation and local security forces carrying out their duties.

Education, Higher Education, and Scientific Research Committee

28 February - The committee, led by the chair Abdusalam Dolamari (KDP), held their weekly meeting.

Dr. Karzan Karim, an adviser for education and higher education Affairs at the KRG Council of Ministers, participated in the meeting. The MPs discussed a teacher’s allegations in the media about that talked about students cheating in their studies. The committee decided to send an official letter on the matter to the three ministries of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Eesearch, and Culture and Youth.

The committee also discussed the current state of education and measures to protect students, teachers and staff in schools and institutions amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

The subcommittee and committee members’ visits to education centres and directorates were discussed in detail.

After asking Ministry of Health, the Committee’s proposal of testing students was implemented on 27 February.

A subcommittee was established to visit to visit the Ministry of Finance and Economy for teachers who are registered twice in biometric systems, and another subcommittee was established to visit all the private universities to hear their views and suggestions about a private university bill.

All the notes and requests directed to the committee were discussed and answered according to Parliament’s procedures.

Social Affairs and Protection of Human Rights Committee

28 February - The committee led by the chair Romeo Hakari (National Union Coalition), met with representatives of JUDAL organization, to discuss the draft legislation on protection of children’s rights.

The MPs discussed the legislative proposal in detail, and the representatives of JUDAL gave the committee their recommendations on it in writing.

Judal’s views and suggestions on human rights, the rights of persons with disabilities and their number were heard.

The chair Mr. Hakari said that MPs must monitoring the implementation of human rights in general and the rights of disabled people specifically.

Committee on Protection of Women's Rights

28 February – Parliament’s Research Centre of Parliament and the NGO Heartland Alliance International held a one-day workshop about preparing budgets on the basis of social-gender norms.

The aim of the workshop was to familiarize MPs with gender-based budgeting.  The committee chair Lanja Dizayee said, “MPs need to prepare ourselves to rethink the gender issue so that it is reflected the Kurdistan Regional Government’s budget.”

Mr. Fazil Nabi, former deputy minister of finance of Iraq, analyzed the types of budget and ways of preparing it for the participants.

Then several legal experts and Heartland Alliance experts explained how to prioritise gender-based norms in the budget.

Committee on Kurdistani Areas outside KRG Administrative Area

8 March - The Committee, led by chair Jiwan Younis Rozhbayani (KDP), held their regular meeting.

All reports and notes sent to the committee were discussed and some were directed to Parliament’s Presidency for further work.

The meeting also discussed two books on the Kurdistani areas outside the KRG’s administration, which were prepared under the supervision of the committee, Kurdistan regions between historical truth and geographical position and Provisions of Laws and Decisions on the Implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution.

After hearing the views of the committee members, they decided to formally publish and announce the two books soon.

Parliament Affairs and Complaints Committee

2 March - The Committee, led by the chair Dr. Esmail Sgery (KIU), held their regular meeting.

The chair summarized their meeting with Deputy Speaker Hemin Hawrami. MPs’ complaints were directed to Parliament’s Presidency, regarding slow responses to their requests and slow administrative procedures by the Presidency of the Diwan (administration) of Parliament. The chair said that the Deputy Speaker promised to investigate the problems seriously.

Administrative problems related to MPs’ guards were discussed and the committee decided to send an official letter to Parliament’s Presidency on the matter.

Integrity Committee

2 March - The Committee, led by the chair Shirin Amin Abdulaziz (Change), held their regular meeting

The committee discussed the case of a company sending six billion euros abroad, and decided to direct to Parliament’s Presidency to present the required evidence.

The committee decided to write to the prosecutor on the cases of the expenditure of five million dollars allocated to Erbil in the year that it was the capital of tourism for Arab countries, and expenditure of twenty billion dinars allocated to Slemani as the capital of culture.

The letters and requests sent to the committee by the public were read and answered, and some were directed to the relevant authorities.

Finance and Economic Affairs Committee

2 March – The committee, led by the chair Ziyad Jabbar (PUK), met to prepare for the KRG’s Budget Bill of 2021.

The MPs discussed the KRG’s preparations and steps in drawing up the 2021 Budget Bill and when it is expected to be submitted to Parliament.

The committee’s advisers made two presentations on government budgets, one from an economic, politic, social, and accounting perspective, and the other from a legislative and legal perspective, in terms of Parliament's oversight of its implementation and the Committee’s important role in the preparation of bill.

All the letters and requests sent to the committee were discussed and answered according to Parliament’s procedures.

Endowments and Religious Affairs Committee

2 March - The Committee, led by the vice chair Mala Ihsan Rekani (KDP), held their weekly meeting.

Deputy Speaker Hemin Hawrami’s visit to the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs was highlighted in the meeting, and the MPs believe it will help increase cooperation between the committee and the ministry.

The demands by volunteer religious scholars to be employed by the KRG was discussed. The committee believe they should be employed by the KRG on contracts or on a monthly basis, because there is a lack of permanent religious scholars in Kurdistan Region’s mosques.

The MPs said that the visit of Pope Francis to Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Region, was historic and showed the peaceful religious coexistence in Kurdistan Region as an example for the Middle East.

A legislative proposal on assets was discussed, and the MPs decided to discuss it with the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs to enrich the draft.

All the notes and requests sent to the committee were read, and after review and discussion they were sent to the relevant authorities for action.