Iraqi Kurdistan will have a powerful presidency, weak parliament: MP
Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament, 2015. Photo: Perleman
Iraqi Kurdistan’s system won’t be parliamentary, a KIU MP says
SULAIMANI, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s system will not become parliamentary, a Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) lawmaker said on Saturday.
Member of the Kurdistan Parliament Abubakir Haladni said during NRT’ TV that the presidency would have the same powers as it did before it was suspended in 2018.
“We want the powers of the Kurdistan Region’s president to be like those of Iraqi President,” Haladni added, referring to the largely ceremonial role played by the president under the federal constitution.
Haladni predicted that the Kurdistan Parliament would not be able to summon the president to answer questions.
Kurdistan Parliament finished a first reading of a draft bill that would amend the presidency law during a session on Saturday, despite a boycott and walkouts by several parties.
The bill was jointly submitted by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Change Movement (Gorran), and the reserved ministry representatives.
It would give Parliament the power to elect the president, but would leave the presidency’s specific powers undetermined until a constitution is written.
Lawmakers from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) boycotted the session.
Speaker Vala Farid ruled against points of order from the New Generation Movement and the Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG) and, in response, lawmakers from those caucuses along with the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) walked out of the chamber.
The three opposition caucuses objected to speaker’s decision to only consider the KDP-Gorran bill, as other parties had also submitted their own draft bills.
After walking out of the session, head of KIG caucus Abdul Sattar Majid said during a news conference that his party would not be a part of a process where their voice was not taken into consideration, especially on such a critical issue.
The New Generation (Newey Nwe) Movement said during a separate news conference that Parliament’s by-laws had been violated by the speaker’s decision not to bring the other draft bills up for consideration.
Head of the KIU caucus Sherko Jawdat said one party rule was not in the interests of the Kurdistan Region and that the parties’ focus on allocating posts and positions was taking focus away from solving the people’s problems.
The Kurdistan Parliament suspended the presidency law in June 2018.
KDP leader Massoud Barzani has led Kurdistan region as president from 2005 for two executive terms and his last term was extended in 2013 by ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) for two more years on the condition that he can no longer run as president.
Barzani’s term as president of Kurdistan expired on August 20, 2015 but refused to step down and remains unofficially in office or more than two years despite protests and demonstration against Barzani across Kurdistan region.
In October 2017, Barzani resigned from his post after the controversial and il-fated independence referendum.
In December 2018, the leadership of the KDP has nominated current Iraqi Kurdistan Region premier Nechirvan Barzani to succeed his uncle Massoud Barzani as president of Iraqi Kurdistan, and Masoud Barzani’s son Masrour as premier of the Kurdistan regional government KRG.
Read more about The Monarchy of Iraqi Kurdistan
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