Committees' recent meetings - 13 January 2022
A summary of Kurdistan Parliament's committees' recent work and meetings:
Municipalities, Transport, Communication, Travel and Tourism Committee
5 January – Members of the committee went to the Municipalities Ministry to meet with Minister Sasan Awni and discuss the recent flooding in Erbil and the resulting casualties and material damage. The committee insisted that the Ministry remove the unauthorized diversion of water flow in neighbourhoods.
They also raised problems with household rubbish collection and household water quality.
Another topic of discussion was the money wasted by Erbil Water Administration. The Municipalities Ministry has formed a committee to investigate and take legal and administrative measures.
Minister Sasan Awni pledged to look into and resolve the issues that the committee raised.
Reconstruction and Investment Committee
10 January – The committee reviewed their visits to the governorates and investment projects to look into construction and investments. They decided to visit industrial projects, especially those with legal problems.
The committee read the letters and requests sent by the public and directed them to the relevant authorities.
Relations and Kurdish Diaspora Committee
10 January – The committee discussed the recovery of the bodies of Kurdistan Region citizens from the Aegean sea, who tragically drowned trying to migrate by boat to Europe.
The committee stressed that the KRG should do its utmost to coordinate with the relevant governments and organizations to find the other victims’ remains, and to repatriate them.
The committee said that they recognized and appreciated the KRG’s past successful efforts with the Greek Government to repatriate drowned victims’ remains.
Peshmerga Committee
11 January – The committee discussed implementation of Article 7 (paragraph 4) of Law No. 34 of 2007, the Law on Retirement of Peshmerga Forces with Disabilities. They decided to form a subcommittee to investigate this, as well as the problem of staff working on contracts at the Ministry of Peshmerga not being given permanent employment status, and to meet with the relevant officials involved in the issue.
The committee reviewed their work of the previous year and discussed their plans for the forthcoming legislative session and how to strengthen their work.
They read and responded to all the letters and requests sent to them.
Martyrs, Genocide and Political Prisoners Committee
10 January – The committee discussed their plans to hold a conference on genocide, in coordination with Parliament’s research centre, and they decided to discuss the timing and program with Parliament’s Presidency.
The committee met with members of the Kurdish Genocide Writers Union and discussed how to achieve greater awareness and formal international recognition of the genocide against the Kurds.
12 January – The committee went to the KRG Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) and met with Minister Safeen Dizayee to discuss establishing relations with the KRG representation offices abroad and connecting with MPs of the parliaments of European nations in order to achieve more international recognition of the genocide against the Kurds.
Agriculture and Irrigation Committee
12 January – The committee decided that once the new Iraqi government is formed they will visit Baghdad to continue demanding the rest of the payments owed to Kurdistan’s farmers for their crops.
They decided to visit Gomaspan dam to prepare a report on dams, and to visit Dohuk Governorate, provincial council and directorate of agriculture.
The MPs also decided to visit private silos and Khoshnaw silo, and to go to Kifri district to look further into the agricultural and ownership problems there.
The committee read and responded to the letters and requests sent by the public.
Social Affairs and Protection of Human Rights Committee
12 January – The committee discussed their report on the Bill on Amendments to Iraq’s Juvenile Welfare Law, Law No. 76 of 1983, and its amendments in the Kurdistan Region. The bill had its first reading on 28 June 2021.
All the letters and requests sent by the public were read and received answers.
The MPs discussed getting approval to collect data on sentencing, prisons and inmates.
They planned their meetings and visits for the next Parliamentary session.
Protection of Women’s Rights Committee
12 January – The committee discussed holding a workshop on the Bill on Combating Violence Against Women and Families in Kurdistan Region, with the participation of relevant authorities, and national and international experts, to enrich the bill.
Energy, Natural Resources, Commerce and Industry Committee
12 January – The committee discussed the low supply and high price of oil and gas. They decided to write to the KRG about monitoring the quality of gas, reducing prices and ensuring evenness and fairness in oil and gas distribution in the cities and towns of Kurdistan Region, to ensure that the share allocated to the public is protected and not sold commercially, and that gas factories and companies are committed to building gas stores so that supplies can be distributed on time.
The committee also decided to write to the KRG about monitoring and reducing the price of oil for household heating, in the interests of the public.