MPs with 80 votes extend the current term of Parliament, complete second reading of Bill on Education and Training
The Kurdistan Parliament on 9 October 2022 voted to extend the current term of Parliament for another year, until late-2023, with 80 MPs voting in favour. Parliament also completed the second reading of the Bill on Education and Training.
Speaker Faiq presided over the sitting, with Deputy Speaker Dr. Hemin Hawrami and Secretary Muna Kahveci alongside her.
The Legislative Committee read all the suggestions for the title, three articles and purpose of the bill, and MPs voted on each of them. The proposal passed with 80 votes. Parliament has 111 MPs.
Under the Kurdistan Parliament Election Law (No. 1 of 1992), Parliament’s current (fifth) term is supposed to end on 6 November 2022. The election will not take place on time because the political parties have failed to reach an agreement on amending the Election Law and renewing the mandate of the Kurdistan High Election Commission.
The extension is needed to prevent a legal and constitutional vacuum, ensure the continuity of Kurdistan Region’s constitutional institutions, safeguard the public’s interests by continuing the authorities’ responsibilities, make the legal, administrative, and technical arrangements for holding a free, fair and transparent election, establish clean and correct biometric voter registration, create a more favorable political environment for achieving national unity and consensus that guarantees all Kurdistan Region’s citizens’ right to stand for election and to vote, and to create a level playing field for all.
Then MPs continued with the second reading of the Bill on Education and Training, reading articles from 166 to the last article, 181, which are the general and financial provisions and the bill’s purpose. The KRG Education Minister Alan Hama Saeed and Dr. Seywan Ali from the ministry were present to give clarifications.
Minister Alan Hama Saeed and the education and Parliament’s legislative committees explained some points in response to MPs’ comments and questions about those articles. The Minister thanked MPs for their many months of work and support for the bill.
Based on the many detailed comments and suggestions made by MPs, the education and legislative committees will prepare the Education Bill’s voting report for a future sitting.
