A seminar on the Decentralization in Salahddin university

On Jan 9, 2019, Kurdistan Institute for Elections (KIE) held a seminar entitled, “The Situation of Decentralization in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) in the College of Law Hall of Salahaddin University in Erbil. This event was arranged by Erbil Decentralization Group in coordination with Chawi Zanko Organization.

Presenters included:
-     Ali Rasheed: President of Erbil provincial Council.
-     Halmat Ghareeb: Professor of College of Law in Salahaddin University, Erbil.
-     Aram Jamal: Executive Director of Kurdish Institute for Elections (KIE).

Mr. Ali Rasheed devoted his talk to the experiences gained over the last four years in the Erbil provincial Council. Mr. Ali pointed out to the administrative and financial obstacles faced by the Provincial Council, despite the ambitions the Council had during this period, and its achievements.

 Mr. Halmat Ghahreeb talked about the Provincial Council Law in KRI (Law No. 3, 2009), and explained the purpose and importance of the articles on decentralization in the aforesaid law.

 Mr. Aram Jalal criticized the procedure of decentralization in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq which started in 1993 with the Municipalities Law that has been ratified in the first round of Kurdistan Parliament. He pointed out that due to the absence of strategic planning and legal environment, decentralization has not been implemented administratively in the Region. Mr. Jamal emphasized that decentralization is an important and necessary process for the democratization of the KRI, particularly for the marginalized groups and areas.

 A Q&A session followed, where attendees engaged in a very detailed and useful discussion about the issues and challenges put forward in the presentations.

The Erbil Decentralization Group is a branch of a wider network of working groups focusing on decentralization in the Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Halabja governorates. The Erbil Decentralization Group consists of twelve male and female activists that received numerous trainings on decentralization on topics that include: i) the differences between centralization and decentralization; ii) the different kinds and aspects of decentralization; iii) practices of decentralization in federal and unitary states.

a link about the seminar