Iraqi parliament adjourns decision on new governorate amidst discontent from Coordination Framework
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi parliament's awaited decision on the inauguration of a new governorate in the Kurdistan region has faced a setback following the reluctance of the Coordination Framework to support the motion without broader re-evaluations to designate other districts as governorates, said Shwan Mohammed, a representative of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Tuesday.
The stipulation has instigated a series of delays in the parliamentary sessions aimed to address this initiative.
“The stance of the Kurdish parties and blocs is steadfast regarding the vote on the establishment of Halabja governorate,” Mohammed told Shafaq News Agency.
The lawmaker shed light on the consensus amid the Kurdish factions on the potential inception of Halabja as a governorate. It was assumed that Tuesday’s session would facilitate a vote on this pivotal matter, yet disagreements and opposition from the Coordination Framework members have deferred the session and the realization of the governorate until further notice.
Mohammed accentuated that the opposition harbored by the Coordination Framework on the transformation of Halabja district into a governorate is fundamentally "political".
"This stems from their demand for the simultaneous elevation of other districts such as Tal Afar in Nineveh and Tuz Khurmatu in Salah ad Din to governorate status," he said.
"There was an agreement within the State Administration Coalition with the consent of the Coordination Framework on the establishment of Halabja governorate when the current government was formed," Mohammed noted, expressing dismay over the sudden shift in the stance of the Coordination Framework post the inclusion of Halabja governorate in the parliamentary agenda.
Originally, the Iraqi parliament had scheduled a session last Thursday to engage in a procedural vote, possibly heralding Halabja as the nineteenth governorate in Iraq and the fourth in the Kurdistan region. This anticipation has been continually thwarted due to the failure to secure the legal quorum, prompting consecutive postponements - firstly to Monday, and now it is set to take place this coming Thursday.
The evolving dynamics reveal a textured landscape of political negotiations, where the establishment of a new administrative entity is interlinked with broader territorial reassessments. The role of Halabja, historically a significant location in the Kurdish narrative, stands as a focal point in this detailed conversation around governance and territorial reconfiguration.
