Parliament passes landmark Law on Education and Learning
The Kurdistan Parliament on 15 November 2022 passed the landmark Law on Education and Learning, with 67 MPs voting in favour.
Alongside Speaker Faiq were Deputy Speaker Dr. Hemin Hawrami and Secretary Muna Kahveci. The Minister for the Region for Parliament Affairs, Dr. Vala Farid also attended.
Before beginning the vote on the Education and Learning Bill, Speaker Faiq said, “I thank the Education Committee, Legislative Committee and the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Education for their tireless work to prepare this [voting] report, which I believe in the history of Kurdistan Parliament has never been prepared in this way. I especially thank the chair of the Legislative Committee for replaying and writing all the comments made by all the MPs, which I think is a very special ability. I am also especially grateful to the chair of the Education Committee for managing the process with his committee and with particular stakeholders and those directly affected by this law."
Speaker Faiq continued, "I believe it is a historic day for Kurdistan Region’s education sector to vote on the full range of education issues. It is the first time in the history of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region that an issue and a bill has been presented to Parliament and prepared for voting in such a way. As you know, in three previous terms of Parliament they tried to pass this law by every means but couldn’t. Thank God, we were able to pick up the baton from them.”
Then MPs voted on all the different suggestions for each article of the bill, on the purpose of the bill and on the bill in its entirety, which garnered 67 votes.
The Speaker said, "Congratulations to us, to the education sector, students, teachers, education staff and everyone who is covered by this law."
She added, "Heartfelt thanks to the standing committees, and to the honourable MPs who for the sake of passing laws by consensus in the Kurdistan Parliament have even been big enough to put aside their own legislative proposals, I thank them. The difference in this current term of Parliament is that the committees have been entrusted with putting all the opinions and suggestions [on articles of bills] to voting. This is your strength and greatness and I thank you for it.”
Then Parliament held the second reading of the Legislative Proposal on the Protection of Animals, by the municipalities and legislative committees.
At the start of the sitting, MPs held the first reading of the Bill on Adoption and Amendment of the Application of the Iraqi Agricultural Quarantine Law (Law No. 76 of 2012, as amended in Kurdistan Region – Iraq).
Deputy Speaker Hawrami closed the proceedings by announcing that the next sitting would take place the next day, 16 November.
