KDP's Vala Farid elected KRG parliament speaker, closes session
KDP's Vala Farid elected speaker, first woman to hold post
KDP MP Vala Farid has been elected speaker of Kurdistan Region parliament with 64 votes.
KDP MP Hemin Hawrami was elected first deputy and Turkman Reform Party MP Muna Kahveci voted second deputy.
Upon her election, Farid closed the session of parliament.
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3.40 p.m.
Parties nominate deputy and second deputy speakers
The KDP nominated Hemin Hawrami for the deputy speaker of the parliament while the New Generation nominated Kawa Abdulqadir.
Turkmen bloc nominated Muna Qawachi for the second deputy speaker while the New Generation nominates Muzhda Mahmood. Both are women.
The KIU walked out of parliament claiming dominate parties are abusing powers for political gain.
Voting for the posts is done by secret ballot.
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3:28 p.m.
KDP, New Generation nominate MPs for speakership
Sipan Salim is the New Generation candidate for post of the speaker of the parliament.
Since the PUK is absent, the KDP is nominating Vala Farid to assume the post to prevent New Generation's candidate from winning the post.
Farid has the opportunity to become the first female speaker of the Kurdistan Region parliament since it was established in 1992.
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3:18 p.m.
Parliament convenes with PUK absent
Shortly after 3 p.m., the Kurdistan Region parliament convened its first session since the election on September 30.
Acting speaker Reving Haruri convenes first session of new #Kurdistan parliament with PUK boycotting #TwitterKurds https://t.co/Ueq8bbH9I6 pic.twitter.com/RG7PvNFEVi
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) February 18, 2019
They aim to elect a speaker, first deputy, and second deputy.
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2:24 p.m.
PUK walks out of parliament building
The bloc of the PUK walked out of the Kurdistan Region parliament. The departees included its leaders. There is a planned meeting of the session of parliament at 3 p.m.
"The KDP has not reassured us, which is why we will not take part in the parliamentary session due to be held at 3p.m. today," PUK spokesperson Latif Sheikh Omar explained to Rudaw.
The dispute seems to be over the mechanism to resolve the post of the governor in Kirkuk.
Masoud Barzani called and promised acting PUK leader Kosrat Rasul that the post of the Kirkuk governor is for the PUK, but should be someone who enjoys KDP consent, Rudaw has learnt.
Prior to its acting governor, an Arab, who was appointed by the former prime minister, the post always was held by a Kurd.
The predominately-Kurdish Brotherhood Alliance holds the majority of seats in the Kirkuk Provincial Council, the only body constitutionally charged with electing its governor.
The PUK is the second-largest party in the Kurdistan Region. It obtained 21 seats in the parliamentary election on September 30.
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12:30 p.m.
Gorran signs off on strategic agreement with KDP
The Change Movement (Gorran) met with the KDP in Erbil on Monday to officially sign an agreement that they will participate in the new parliament.
“We hope this agreement between Gorran and the KDP becomes a basis for other interested parties to participate in this government so that we pass this phase which is full of problems, hardship and crises in Kurdistan,” said Gorran official Jalal Jawhar.
The agreement all but guarantees that Gorran will receive some ministerial-level or higher posts in the new KRG. It solidifies the agreement between the two parties negotiated this weekend.
KDP-Gorran disagreements in the previous parliament and government resulted in a weak parliament that lacked any real checks against governmental powers.
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Reving Haruri, speaker pro tem of the Kurdistan Region parliament, speaks to reporters in Erbil on February 18, 2019. Photo: Mohammed Shwani | Rudaw
11:50 a.m.
Parliament blocs agree to convene parliament at 3 p.m.
Leaders of parliamentary blocs announced that parliament will convene at 3 p.m., instead of 7 p.m., as was previously reported.
“The parliament is due to meet at 3 p.m. at the request of all factions,” temporary speaker of parliament said in a press conference.
The PUK faction has asked other factions in the meeting of heads of blocs to delay the parliamentary meeting until 7 p.m. today, KDP MP Hevidar Ahmed told Rudaw.
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11:41 a.m.
KDP speaks with PUK on post of governor of Kirkuk
KDP made a suggestion to the PUK for the post of the
governor of Kirkuk, a source told Rudaw.
“We are very close to reaching an agreement with the KDP and will try to strike a deal during the time the parliament meeting is delayed,” PUK spokesperson Latif Sheikh Omar told Rudaw.
Only the Kirkuk Provincial Council can select the governor of Kirkuk. Acting governor Rekan Saeed al-Jabouri has dismissed the possibility of Kurdistani parties deciding on the matter outside of the province.
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11:36 a.m.
PUK aims for political deal before parliament reconvenes
“We are trying and will hopefully reach a deal by the time the session is held. The PUK position is that we should have a political agreement between us and then participate in the meeting,” PUK MP Begard Talabani told Rudaw.
There were reports of high-level political meetings planned between the KDP and PUK.
“The PUK faction will abide by the decision which will be made by the PUK,” she added.
Talabani again reiterated that she wants to be speaker of parliament.
“We have no problems over candidates [for the post of parliament speaker]. What matters is the agreement. I am however one of the candidates for this post and I am certainly eyeing the post of speaker,” she detailed.
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10:50 a.m.
PUK: Session delayed until 7 p.m.
A member of the PUK Leadership Council told Rudaw that the start of Monday's session of parliament will be delayed until 7 p.m.
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10:48 a.m.
KIU, Komal participation with KDP means quorum reached
The Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) told Rudaw they will participate in the session. Komal won seven seats. A joint KIU-Islamic Movement of Kurdistan (IMK) Reform List won five seats. Their 12 seats in addition to the KDP's 45 would provide a quorum.
The heads of all blocs were meeting with the speaker pro tem Reving Haruri.
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10:41 a.m.
Turkmen blocs agree on their nominees for speaker
The Turkmen group in parliament told Rudaw that it wants Muna Qawachi to assume the post of speaker for the first two years and Mohammed Saadadin for the next two years.
Qawachi would be the first women to serve as speaker of the Kurdistan Region parliament.
Begard Talabani and Rewaz Fayaq are both seen as likely PUK candidates to be speaker of the Kurdistan Region parliament. They are also women.
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9:30 a.m.
Parliament set to convene on Monday
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A long awaited, but contentious, session of the Kurdistan Region parliament will go ahead on Monday.
It is unclear whether the second-largest party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 21 seats, is ready to participate. Its apparent joint agreement with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) from Friday has not been formally put in writing and approved.
"We have not yet been informed of taking part or boycotting today's session," Karwan Gaznai, a PUK MP, told Rudaw.
Latif Sheikh Omar has replaced Saadi Pira as the party's spokesperson.
The KDP holds 45 seats in the 111-seat legislative body. It’s believed they could achieve a quorum.
"With and without PUK's participation, the Kurdistan parliament's session will go ahead as planned at 11 a.m.," Hevidar Ahmed, a KDP MP, confirmed to Rudaw. "All the other blocs, except the PUK, have promised to show up in the session."
According to a call from Reving Haruri, the acting speaker of the parliament as the eldest MP, the agenda of Monday’s assembly is to elect the leadership which includes the speaker, deputy speaker and the second deputy — also called secretary.
In the session, three new MPs, in place of the PUK's Qubad Talabani, the New Generation's Shaswar Abdulwahid and Shaaban Ali Shaaban from the KDP, will be sworn-in. The trio is expected to vie for governmental or party posts, although not guaranteed.
In addition to Haruri, the session will also be run by two youngest MPs — one from the KDP and the other from KIU.
The New Generation won eight seats in its first ever election. It already has declared it will join the opposition. It has hinted they will run candidates for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker.
In case of PUK's absence in the assembly, the KDP will have a plan to prevent the New Generation from winning any post within the parliament be it the speaker or deputy speaker.
"If the New Generation presents a candidate for the post of the speaker, then the KDP also will present a candidate for the post to assume it temporarily until the PUK MPs return to parliament. If the KDP MP makes it, he will run the post temporarily,” said freshman KDP MP Ahmed.
Ahmed explained the KDP's candidate for the post of deputy speaker is Hemin Hawrami.
The second deputy goes to the Turkmen. Rudaw has learnt that Muna Qawachi is most likely to get it.
The KDP's Ahmed went on to explain that after the parliament session "the legal committee will be formed and then the committee will prepare a project to amend the KRG presidency law. Only one point will be amended which is that the president should be elected by MPs."
KDP and the Change Movement (Gorran) will sign their bilateral pact in Pirmam on Monday. They agreed in principle on Sunday after Gorran's demands were "approved."
The Kurdistan Region held a delayed parliamentary election on September 30.
Reporting by Sangar Abdulrahman and Payam Sarbast