Committees’ recent meetings – 1 July to 5 September 2022
A summary of Kurdistan Parliament's committees' work and meetings from 1 July to 5 September 2022:
Health, Environment and Consumer Rights Committee
1 August 2022 – The committee discussed the rumours that pork and equine meat is being sold as mutton or beef in Kurdistan’s markets and decided to continue their investigations.
They replied to correspondence.
31 August 2022 – The committee met with the Kurdistan Biologists Syndicate and the Kurdistan Chemists Syndicate to exchange views about the legislative proposal on the health professionals syndicate.
The committee said that they will take into account the two syndicates’ comments on the bill.
They also discussed a legislative proposal on the Kurdistan Biologists Syndicate.
Peshmerga Committee
5 July 2022 – The committee visited the Peshmerga Ministry to congratulate Lieutenant Colonel Bakhtiar Mohammed Sadiq on his new position as the Secretary General of the Ministry.
18 July 2022 – The committee met with several Peshmerga Ministry officers who asked for property ownership, complained about problems with promotion and several other issues, and presented their complaints in a letter.
They said that several Peshmerga officers had not received promotions for various reasons or were not retired with the correct rank or without taking into account their years of service.
The committee pledged to make every effort to follow up on their problems and demands, through the Presidency of the Parliament and the KRG Council of Ministers.
16 August 2022 – The committee and Mr. Karwan Jamal Tahir, the KRG Representative in the UK, discussed the UK’s assistance and training of the Peshmerga forces. Mr. Tahir said that as the KRG Representative he will continue to lobby for the continuation of the UK’s important support for the Peshmerga.
The committee replied to correspondence.
22 August 2022 – The committee visited the Peshmerga Ministry to meet with its new Chief of Staff Issa Ozer, and raised several Peshmerga forces’ issues, including retirement, promotions, unification and reorganization of two brigades, implementing laws, the freezing of allowances, accounting for academic qualifications in salaries, protecting the front and borders, reforms at the ministry and many other issues.
The Chief of Staff of the Peshmerga Ministry explained their plans as well as the obstacles and challenges they face during the implementation of the reform process.
Both sides stressed that the laws related to the Peshmerga forces should be unified and amended in such a way that they will solve all the problems.
The Chief of Staff discussed the recent visit by senior officials of the Peshmerga Ministry to the United States and Britain where they discussed the latest developments in the fight against terrorism in Iraq and the threat of the resurgence of ISIS.
They discussed the continued support and cooperation of the international community in the Kurdistan Region to fight terrorism, the international allies’ continuation in the international coalition against ISIS and support for the Kurdistan Region and the Peshmerga forces.
Protection of Women’s Rights Committee
27 July 2022 – The committee discussed the progress of their first report on the Bill on Combating Violence against Women and Families, which will be put on the order of business in the autumn legislative session.
They also discussed their visits to government authorities and the courts to look into the measures taken to combat and eliminate violence against families and women.
They decided to establish more contact with international stakeholders in the Kurdistan Region.
17 August 2022 – The committee discussed some correspondence and then decided their program of work for the forthcoming autumn legislative session.
They discussed their first report (jointly with the Legislative Committee) on the new anti-domestic violence bill and decided to work harder on it to prepare if for the autumn legislative session.
Integrity Committee
2 August 2022 – The committee with Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Amin, head of the Researcher Organization, and staff discussed the organization’s analytical study of Institutional Law in Fighting Corruption, with the financial support of UNDP. The NGO invited the MPs to a consultative meeting on their study in the coming days.
22 August 2022 – The committee discussed a final decision-making mechanism on the case of spending of funds to contain the Coronavirus, they read the draft report on investigations into Kurdistan Region’s revenues, and decided to monitor and follow up the work of and cases at the Integrity Commission.
The committee replied to correspondence.
Endowments and Religious Affairs Committee
31 July 2022 – The committee held a meeting on the Bill on the Amendment to the Application of the Amended Endowments Administration Law, No. 64 of 1966, with Dr. Pishtiwan Sadiq, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs; Abdullah Saeed Waisi, Head of the Kurdistan Islamic Scholars Union, and the head and members of the High Fatwa Council.
The High Fatwa Council said that the bill has religious and Sharia aspects, not only legal ones, and as such needs the involvement of Kurdistan’s religious institutions, as does any legislation that deals with religious affairs.
17 August 3033 – The committee discussed the articles that need to be amended in the Bill on the Amendment to the Application of the Amended Endowments Administration Law, No. 64 of 1966, taking into account the comments and suggestions made by the Kurdistan High Fatwa Council.
They then directed their report on the Bill to Parliament’s presidency so that it can be scheduled for its second reading at a sitting.
Energy, Natural Resources, Commerce and Industry Committee
26 July 2022 – The committee exchanged views on the launch of a quality control institution in the Kurdistan Region, and decided to meet with the Minister of Planning and the QC institution in the near future.
30 August 2022 – The committee discussed their plans for the new legislative session and the high price of gas and kerosene, the price of the latter having increased recently, and decided to ask the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources about its winter kerosene planning (as household heating fuel), as this issue has become an annually recurring problem.
The committee asked Parliament’s Presidency to send a letter to the Kurdistan Region Oil and Gas Council calling for the kerosene and gas demands of Kurdistan to be met, and not to repeat the insufficient supply and distribution of previous years which would lead to another crisis.
The committee has made two proposals to the government: first, increase the amount of household gas, and second, issue coupons so that the allocation reaches households and bakeries.
Regarding kerosene, the committee called on the government to make a decision and a plan to distribute kerosene to households, because the price of oil is rising daily with one reason being that good quality diesel produced by the official refineries is exported rather than kept for domestic consumption. Kerosene, car oil residues and other harmful substances are mixed and sold as diesel.
The committee demanded that the export of diesel be stopped and the Ministry of Natural Resources told the committee that they are not aware of the export and have not issued licenses as such.
Relations and Kurdish Diaspora Committee
5 July 2022 – On their visit to Berlin, the committee and CDU/CSU MP Volkmar Klein discussed the importance of continuing the German forces' mandate in the international coalition against ISIS, to train security and defence forces and help stabilize vulnerable communities. The committee thanked Germany for their many years of support and friendship with Kurdistan Region.
6 July 2022 – In Berlin, the committee visited the Konrad Adenauer Foundation think tank and met with Dr. Canan Atilgan and Simon Engelkes, to discuss political developments in Kurdistan Region & Iraq, and the importance of Germany's engagement in the region.
22 August 2022 – The committee discussed the plight of 15 young Kurdistan Region citizens arrested in Turkey and held in a camp with Syrian citizens, and decided to discuss the case with Turkey’s Consul General in the Kurdistan Region. A similar case arose a year ago when 75 young citizens who intended to cross to Greece by boat were arrested by the Turkish police and deported to Azaz region in Syria. The committee intervened in that case with the Turkish Consul General and the 75 citizens were released and returned to Kurdistan Region.
The meeting also discussed a planned visit to the new South Korean Consul General in Erbil to congratulate him on his appointment.
The committee reviewed their recent meetings in Germany.
The committee read reports and correspondence.
28 August – The committee raised with Turkey’s Deputy Consul General the plight of 15 young Kurdistan Region citizens arrested in Turkey and held in a camp with Syrian citizens, and one young man deported to Azaz in Syria.
Turkey’s Deputy Consul General pledged to look into the cases.
Social Affairs and Human Rights Committee
27 July 2022 – The committee discussed social problems, human rights, prison conditions and prisoners’ rights, and decided to visit the relevant authorities to find solutions and help improve the prison system in the Kurdistan Region.
They also decided to visit the directorate of social care and development in Erbil, including elderly and children’s care homes, women's shelters, and adults’, women’s and juvenile prisons.
The committee replied to correspondence.
1 August 2022 – The committee over two days had meetings in Erbil with:
- Ismet Argushi, Director of General Security (Asayish) in Erbil. They discussed prisoners’ and detainees’ problems, their human rights, delays in court cases, other legal issues, lawyers’ requests to see prisoners within the legal deadline, and reducing prison overcrowding.
The Director General of Security said that their doors are open for MPS and human rights organizations to visit and see prisoners, and they are free to ask questions about the human rights situation in security prisons.
The committee listened closely to prisoners’ and detainees’ demands and promised to raise them with the relevant authorities.
The committee visited:
- The women’s and juvenile prison, where the director explained the problems. They met with prisoners and detainees to understand and follow up on their problems.
- The women's shelter and met with the director Tavga Faizwallah Mohammed. The MPs promised to convey the shelter’s needs to the relevant authorities.
- The directorate of social care and development, and met with Director Yousef Chawshin. The MPs asked him to submit any bill or amendment to existing legislation that would help to improve families’ lives.
- Adults prison. They discussed reviewing and reducing sentences, implementing courts’ parole decisions, reducing exceptions to include more convicts on parole, and prisoners with the death sentence.
22 August 2022 – The committee decided to draft a report on their recent visits to prisons in the governorates, and to meet with the Judicial Council and the Public Prosecution Service to raise the issues that they found at the prisons. They also decided to ask the Director General of Prisons to find a suitable mechanism to deal with the problems.
They discussed the laws on labour, retirement and social security, which they are scheduled to discuss with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
They discussed how to work more closely with the Kurdistan Independent Human Rights Commission and decided to arrange a meeting with them.
The committee read and replied to correspondence.
31 August 2022 – The committee met with Dr. Muna Yaqo, chair of the Kurdistan Region Independent Human Rights Commission, and her colleagues.
Dr. Yaqo explained the obstacles to strengthening their work on improving human rights in the Kurdistan Region.
She said that the Independent Human Rights Commission works under the provisions of Law No. 4 of 2010, and one of its duties and tasks is to monitor and record human rights violations.
Dr. Yaqo asked the committee to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation through the establishment of a committee to follow up on all human rights issues.
The committee, together with Parliament’s Culture Committee, met with the mountaineering group Hawdian, which is a member of the Kurdistan Mountaineering Federation. The head of the mountaineering group explained their administrative and financial problems and asked the parliament committees to help them promote and organize mountaineering activities in the Kurdistan Region, which is very important for the development of tourism, through the establishment of a Kurdistan Mountaineering Union by merging the two Kurdistan Mountaineering Federations in Erbil and Slemani.
Reconstruction and Investment Committee
22 August 2022 – The committee discussed the plan to build 20,000 housing units to be allocated to renters and low income earners.
They discussed the stalling and delays of road projects, specially the Slemani-Garmian road, and decided to scrutinize further with the Slemani general directorates for investment and for reconstruction.
The committee replied to correspondence.
Martyrs, Genocide and Political Prisoners Committee
24 July 2022 - The committee issued this statement:
Ayman Abd Jasim, a Peshmerga and member of the Kakayi religious community, was threatened and physically assaulted by several gunmen in Kirkuk governorate.
Contrary to all the principles of human rights, Ayman Abd Jasim was humiliated and violated, in acts that breach international norms and agreements on the rights and freedoms of individuals and also violate the Iraqi Constitution.
These crimes also threaten the principle of peaceful coexistence, cause social and political instability and can only lead to chaos, for which the perpetrators should be held responsible.
We condemn this crime in the strongest terms, express our full support for the Peshmerga and call on the Iraqi federal authorities to prevent such acts and bring the perpetrators to justice.
3 August 2022 – The committee discussed a petition signed by 65,000 people calling for Khanaqin to be returned to the Kurdistan Regional Government administrative area, and decided to raise it with the relevant KRG authorities.
The committee replied to correspondence.
Municipalities, Communications, Transport and Tourism Committee
24 August 2022 – The committee discussed public land encroachment, water shortages, dams, tourism, and other problems in the governorates and independent administrations and decided to visit the municipal authorities in Slemani and Halabja, and thereafter Erbil, Duhok and Zaxo.
The committee decided to ask the Transport and Communications Ministry about the cost and price of internet services, and restricting online gaming and pornographic sites and content.
28 August to 5 September 2022 – Over several days, the committee visited municipal authorities in Erbil, Slemani, Halabja, Raparin, Garmian and Soran, and asked them about encroachment on public land and property, problems with waste management, water and sewage, tourism and archeological sites, unfinished projects, protecting and irrigating green spaces, and transport.
The committee also raised problems with land allocation and compensation for property owners, land registration and fees, and steps to implement the Law on the Ownership of Illegally Taken or Used Land in the Municipalities of Kurdistan Region.
Finance and Economic Affairs Committee
26 July 2022 – The committee discussed 12 reports that they are preparing on: The Government’s debt to public sector employees for unpaid salaries; public sector employees’ promotions; failure to send the budget to the Kurdistan Parliament; ; paying employees their salary arrears; the state of finances in Kurdistan Region’s banks; inadequate salary distribution mechanism and delays, inadequate collection of taxes and fees; giving permanent employee status to contract employees and daily-rate teachers; hiring the top three university graduates; graduate unemployment; tax increases and higher market prices; and unemployment.
The committee discussed drafting their findings regarding the KRG’s third report on the reform process.
23 August 2022 – The committee finalized their general report, which included comments and suggestions that MPs made to the committee, and also included the 12 sub-reports on 12 issues. The committee will submit the report to Parliament’s presidency so that it can be put on the schedule for deliberations at a sitting, in the presence of the relevant ministers.
Agriculture and Irrigation Committee
2 August 2022 – The committee worked on the Bill on Regulation of the Treatment of Animals, an animal welfare bill, which is also under the remit of Parliament’s Municipalities Committee.
The committee discussed correspondence from Parliament’s presidency and the KRG Council of Ministers.
They decided to meet with the General Directorate of Agriculture of Duhok.
They discussed the demands of the residents of Nawgardan and decided to investigate this issue.
They formed a subcommittee to follow up on the 99 million dinars allocated to tackle harmful pests.
16 August 2022 – The committee decided to visit Duhok in the near future to closely monitor the agricultural sector and follow up with the relevant authorities to solve some of the issues.
They also discussed the needs of the agricultural sector in Penjwin and decided to visit to look into the sale of farmers' products there.
The committee replied to correspondence.
Interior, Security and Local Councils Committee
17 August 2022 – The committee discussed their subcommittees’ investigations of problems in the internal and security forces.
They decided to send a letter to the Kurdistan Region Security Council to look into and monitor the organization of the security checkpoints between the cities.
The committee replied to correspondence and formed a subcommittee to look further into some of the complaints raised.
Genocide Committee with Human Rights Committee
26 July 2022 – Speaker Dr. Rewaz Faiq supervised a meeting on incorporating international law into domestic law, with Parliament’s Research Center, the Kurdistan Center for International Law, staff of the German Consulate General and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation think tank, UNAMI and Parliament’s Legislative, Genocide and Human Rights committees.
Speaker Faiq said, "If for many nations of the world the issue of incorporation of international law into domestic law is an academic one that concerns human rights, then for our people it is a matter of our very existence. There are countless violations of international law against our people. For this reason, we in the Kurdistan Parliament support the open discussions in this meeting."
"All the values of which our people are proud are based on accepting each other's culture and living together peacefully in the Kurdistan Region," said Speaker Faiq. She continued by saying that negative influences targeting the public have led to growing intolerance, which must be countered.
Dr. Faiq added, "The Kurdistan Parliament is currently in talks with the Kurdistan Regional Government to prepare a proposal to challenge the culture of hatred and violations of people’s rights."
She hoped that the work of this open dialogue would lead to positive outcomes and would respond to the legal questions that arise regarding the domestication of international human rights norms.
Speaker Faiq asked the participants to prepare a summary of the important points of this open discussion, so that the Kurdistan Parliament can use it to draft the bill in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government.