Iraqi cabinet votes to convert Halabja to a province
“The meeting of the Federal Cabinet, which was held today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister , Nuri al-Maliki voted by majority to convert Halabja district of Sulaimaniyah in Kurdistan Region to a province,” the source who requested anonymity told “Shafaq News”.
He noted that the approval was based on a request made by Kurdistan Regional Government earlier.
By that, Halabja will be the ninth province in Iraq and the fourth in Kurdistan region in addition to Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Dohuk .
Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan Region demanded earlier . the Iraqi government to complete the legal and administrative procedures in order to raise the administrative level of Halabja city to a province and to inform the region with all the procedures in this topic .
The official website of the Presidency of Kurdistan Region said in a brief statement that the President of the Region demanded in a letter addressed to the Council of Ministers of Iraq, " to provide the region with all information regarding the procedures followed in order to raise the administrative level of Halabja city to a province and inform them of the last results that Baghdad has reached in this regard.
Barzani stressed in his message on the position of the region in support "to make Halabja as a province in Iraq and in the region ," noting “ at the same time to provide all the services and compensation for the victims of the chemical bombardment that had taken place on the city. "
The Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , had announced in his recent visit to Erbil that his government " supports the demand of Kurdistan Region to raise the administrative level of Halabja city to a province and that it is obliged to compensate the city and compensate the wounded and the families of the victims financially and morally . "
The Council of Ministers in Kurdistan announced in the fourth of last June in principle , transferring Halabja city to a province , while noting that it is awaiting for the approval of Baghdad , according to the Iraqi constitution .
Halabja city affiliated to Sulaimaniyah province is located on the borders with Iran and Kurdistan city , it had been bombed with chemical weapons used by the former regime against its population in the sixteenth of March 1988 caused the deaths of five thousand inhabitants and injured about 20 thousand.
Kurdistan Region is composed of three provinces ; Erbil is the capital, Dahuk and Sulaymaniyah while it has a dispute with Baghdad on Kirkuk province and other parts of Nineveh and Diyala, Salahuddin provinces.
The President of Kurdistan Regional Government, Barzani has promised in the ceremony of the 25th anniversary of the bombing on Halabja city on 16 of last March to convert Halabja to a province.
Barzani said in his speech that his government is trying by all means to remove all obstacles in the way of converting Halabja from a district to a province because the law allows it.
