Halabja Governorate Push: Local Leader Renews Call for Official Recognition

Shafaq News/ On Friday, The head of the government in Halabja Governorate, Azad Tawfiq, reiterated his call for the Iraqi federal government to formally establish Halabja Governorate as an official part of Iraq's governorates.

Speaking at a ceremony commemorating Halabja Day, Tawfiq emphasized that, after establishing the new federal Iraq in 2003 and two decades into the new government system, Halabja deserved the transition from a district to a governorate. He stressed that the issue of creating the Halabja Governorate should be beyond doubt and questioned.

Highlighting the tragic history of the region, Tawfiq recalled the chemical bombing by Saddam Hussein's regime at the end of the 1980s, resulting in thousands of victims in Halabja. He questioned why, after 20 years of the new Iraq, Halabja has not been officially recognized as a governorate, and why there is no allocated budget for the region. Tawfiq expressed strong hope that the administrative status of Halabja would receive attention in the new Iraq.

In June 2013, the Kurdistan Regional Government established the Halabja Governorate, comprising districts such as Halabja, Shahrzur, Penguin, and Sayed Sadiq. However, the federal government has not officially recognized it as a governorate. The former Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, pledged to facilitate the declaration of Halabja as the 19th governorate in Iraq during a visit in September 2020.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani announced the approval of the draft law to create Halabja Governorate, and it was scheduled for voting in the Iraqi Council of Representatives in September 2023. However, the session was not held due to political differences. The establishment of Halabja Governorate is a sensitive issue given the historical significance of the chemical attack on the city by the Iraqi regime