Several lawmakers in Iraqi Kurdistan decline parliamentary pensions

2020-01-21 00:00:00 - Source: Iraq News

Shaswar Abdulwahid Qadir, the president of the New Generation (Newey Nwê) along with four lawmakers from the Movement in a press conference in Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan, January 20, 2020. Screengrab/NRT TV

HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Change Movement (Gorran) lawmakers Ali Hama Salih, Shirin Amin, and Shayan Askari on Tuesday sent a letter to the speaker officially declining their parliamentary pensions in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Salih, Askari, and Amin said that they will forego their pensions and return to their previous jobs once their period in the parliament ends.

Several other MPs, including at least four New Generation lawmakers and one lawmaker from Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), have also declined their pensions, citing their right to do so under the recently-passed pension reform bill.

KDP lawmaker Sarwan Muhammad Ali Harki has decided that he will forego his parliamentary pension. He made the request official by submitting a form to the speaker’s office on Sunday, January 19.

“I, as a member of the Fifth Kurdistan Parliament from the KDP caucus, am alerting your Excellency that I am refusing my pension and deem it as my conscientious duty in front of the Peshmerga and the valued families of the martyrs and sincere people of the nation and homeland to do so,” Harki said in a statement.

The members of the New Generation Movement caucus in the Kurdistan Parliament said during a press conference in Erbil on Sunday that they had submitted letters to the speaker’s office declining pensions for themselves.

“Complying with our moral and professional vows, we have decided to refuse the pensions,” New Generation lawmaker Kawa Abdulqadir said.

Change (Gorran) Movement lawmakers Shirin Amin, Ali Hama and Salih Shayan Askari, 2020. Photo: Ekurd/nrttv.com

New Generation Movement leader threatens to expel MPs who do not decline parliamentary pensions

in Sulaimani city, New Generation President Shaswar Abdulwahid said on Monday that the Movement would expel three of its lawmakers within 48-hours if they do not submit declarations declining parliamentary pensions.

“Our members of parliament have fulfilled the promise that they made during the election and refused their pensions,” Abdulqadir said during a press conference, referring to Kawa Abdulqadir, Kazim Faruq, Sipan Amedi, and Muzhda Mahmud who all submitted their forms on Sunday.

The move is part of a continued protest by the Movement against the recently-passed pension reform bill, which was approved by lawmakers on Jan. 16. New Generation objected to provisions in the legislation guaranteeing generous lifetime payments for senior government officials for short stints in government service.

Speaker Rewaz Fayaq said on Saturday that there was a provision in the reform bill that allowed MPs to decline their pensions should they chose.

While the rest of the Movement’s lawmakers walked out of Thursday’s vote, lawmaker Shadi Nawzad remained in the chamber and voted in favor of the legislation. She was quickly expelled from the Movement.

“If the other three members of parliament do not fill out the forms giving up their parliamentary pensions, they will be removed from the caucus and from the Movement within 48-hours,” Abdulwahid said.

New Generation lawmakers Diyari Anwar, Mam Burhan Muhammad Qanie, and Sirwan Baban were not present at the press conference.

The legislation passed on January 16, 2020 with 89 votes in favor, despite protests from activists and opposition parties who said that it primarily benefits senior government officials at the expense of ordinary government workers and people dependent on government social services.

Iraq News Now