Parliament approves legislation to reactivate Iraqi Kurdistan’s presidency

2019-05-08 00:00:00 - Source: Iraq News

Iraqi Kurdistan parliament, 2015. Photo: Courtesy/Perleman

HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament voted on Wednesday to approve legislation that reactivates the Kurdistan Region’s Presidency.

Eighty-nine members of parliament voted in favor of the bill, twelve lawmakers voted against it, and ten abstained or did not vote on the final measure.

The Parliament approved eight amendments to the presidency law in total, including one that addressed simmering tensions over the vice presidency.

It also established that the Parliament will be responsible for electing the president.

In December 2018, the leadership of the clan-based Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has nominated current Iraqi Kurdistan Region premier Nechirvan Barzani to succeed his uncle, ex-president and KDP head Massoud Barzani, as president of Iraqi Kurdistan, and Massoud Barzani’s son Masrour as premier of the Kurdistan regional government KRG.

The KDP and prospective governing partners the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Change Movement (Gorran) hold 78 seats in the 111-member legislature.

Before the final vote, eight New Generation Movement lawmakers walked out of the chamber when an amendment it proposed, which would have place a number of restrictions on presidential candidates, as well as the office itself, was voted down.

During a press conference, opposition lawmaker from the New Generation Movement Kawa Abdulwadir claimed that parliamentary by-laws had been violated.

“All of our suggestions designed to change the presidency system to a parliamentary one were rejected,” Abdulqadir added.

He was referring specifically to amendments contained within Article 4 of the legislation, which would have mandated a requirement that presidential candidates hold at least a Bachelor’s degree, that a secret ballot be used within Parliament for the presidential vote, that the presidency become an apolitical and ceremonial office, and that presidential candidates must receive a supermajority to be elected.

“We believe what is happening in the Kurdistan Parliament is the violation of the law … It is against the Iraqi Constitution and the law to elect an Iraqi President.”

Crucially for the future of the new government, one of the amendments established that there would be two vice president positions, but that the president would determine their responsibilities and powers.

The amendment threads a legislative needle, balancing the interests of both the PUK and Gorran.

The former wanted two vice president positions, while the latter wants to increase its own and limit the PUK’s influence over security affairs. With its passage it appears that both are willing to accept that compromise.

Head of the Kurdistan Islamic Union KIU caucus Sherko Jawdat said after the vote that Parliament should be able to directly question the president, given the wide-ranging powers of the office.

“The suggestion that stated that president should have at least a BA degree was also rejected. Due to that and some other points, we voted against the bill,” Jawdat added.

Head of Kurdistan Islamic Group caucus Abdul Satar Majid said during a press conference that the caucus did not vote for the legislation because it was against the parliamentary system.

“Voting to elect the President in a public way is against all the principles of elections in the world,” Majid added.

Parliament held first and second readings of the bill several weeks ago.

The legislation does not specifically lay out the powers that the president will ultimately wield, which will be decided in the process of writing a formal constitution.

The Kurdistan Parliament suspended the presidency law in July 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.

On August 20, 2015 Barzani’s term as president of Kurdistan has expired but he refused to step down and remains unofficially in office for 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 September 2018, the autonomous Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary election, with parties competing for 111 seats in total. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won the election by securing 45 seats and was followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 21 seats and Gorran (Change) with 12.

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