Monday, July 16, 2007
Federalism seminar concludes in Kurdistan
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - A four-day-seminar entitled "Federalism in Practice in Iraq" and attended by Iraqi lawmakers was concluded in Arbil after it recommended that a gradual distributing of administrative jurisdictions and oil revenues be introduced in Iraq based on equality between all Iraqis regardless of their race, sect or religion.
The seminar, which was concluded on Friday evening, was attended by U.N. envoy to Iraq Ashraf Qadhi, legislators and top officials from the central and Kurdistan governments. "Federalism is the best form for applying democracy in Iraq as it is a guarantee for preserving the rights of all communities in the country. Federalism in Iraq should be locally shaped and not imported from other countries' experience. Its application may take a gradual division of powers among central and local authorities," the seminar recommended.
The seminar, which was concluded on Friday evening, was attended by U.N. envoy to Iraq Ashraf Qadhi, legislators and top officials from the central and Kurdistan governments. "Federalism is the best form for applying democracy in Iraq as it is a guarantee for preserving the rights of all communities in the country. Federalism in Iraq should be locally shaped and not imported from other countries' experience. Its application may take a gradual division of powers among central and local authorities," the seminar recommended.
A final statement was issued by the seminar in which it was recommended that a gradual distributing of administrative jurisdictions and oil revenues be introduced in Iraq based on equality between all Iraqis regardless of their race, sect or religion. Another recommendation was made on implementing the constitutional article 140 on the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution stipulates normalizing the situation in Kirkuk as it was before 1970s after the former regime, the Kurds claim, lured Arabs from the middle and the south into the city and drove out Kurds.
The committee supervises the implementation of article 140 offered Arabs who voluntarily return to their original cities a compensation of 20 millions Iraqi dinars (roughly $16,000) in addition to a plot of land and a right to have his work transferred if he held a public job.
The oil-rich city of Kirkuk is inhabited by a mix of Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, and Christian communities. The participants in the seminar also highlighted "a need for establishing more solid traditions in ties linking Kurdistan region parliament and the Iraqi House of Representatives, and that more cooperation should be achieved between the two parliaments that should be regulated by a protocol to be signed between the institutions." The final session also witnessed statements by the participants condemning violence in Iraq and describing armed attacks as "terrorist and sabotage acts" that would hurt all Iraqis without discrimination and cause a great deal of damage to the country's infrastructure.
The committee supervises the implementation of article 140 offered Arabs who voluntarily return to their original cities a compensation of 20 millions Iraqi dinars (roughly $16,000) in addition to a plot of land and a right to have his work transferred if he held a public job.
The oil-rich city of Kirkuk is inhabited by a mix of Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, and Christian communities. The participants in the seminar also highlighted "a need for establishing more solid traditions in ties linking Kurdistan region parliament and the Iraqi House of Representatives, and that more cooperation should be achieved between the two parliaments that should be regulated by a protocol to be signed between the institutions." The final session also witnessed statements by the participants condemning violence in Iraq and describing armed attacks as "terrorist and sabotage acts" that would hurt all Iraqis without discrimination and cause a great deal of damage to the country's infrastructure.
The seminar opened its sessions in Kurdistan Arbil, on Tuesday, with the participation of Iraqi lawmakers coming form the Iraqi House of Representatives and Kurdistan region parliament. The seminar was organized by non-governmental organizations and received support from Italian and Kurdistan governments, in addition to Iraqi central and parliament and Kurdistan region parliament.
Labels: Arbil, Article 140, federalism, seminar
