Halabja delegation urges Iraqi parliament to finalize governorate status

BAGHDAD — A delegation from Halabja, including local officials and community leaders, visited Baghdad to formally request that Iraqi Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani support long-awaited legislation to grant Halabja governorate status.

Al-Mashhadani’s office confirmed the meeting and said the speaker reiterated Parliament’s responsibility to heed public demands and pass legislation reflecting citizens’ needs and aspirations. “The role of Parliament is to consider the people’s voices and enact laws that fulfill their demands while overseeing the government’s implementation of these policies,” the statement read.

Led by Mayor Nukhsha Nasih, the Halabja delegation urged lawmakers to move forward with a vote that would finalize the area’s status as a governorate. Al-Mashhadani received a written request on the matter and indicated it had been formally prepared for to be introduced to the floor. He also affirmed his support for citizens’ legitimate demands across all governorates, emphasizing the importance of protecting their rights and reinforcing Iraq’s unity, according to the statement.

Efforts to recognize Halabja as a governorate have faced multiple delays. On March 13, 2023, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved a draft law granting Halabja governorate status. Parliament held a first reading on April 2 and a second reading on May 4. Lawmakers introduced a plan to allocate funds for the city’s reconstruction and for medical care for survivors of the 1988 chemical attack. However, a final vote set for September 30, 2023, was postponed for the fourth time, stalling the process once again.

Known as “Martyr Halabja” among Kurds, the city was declared the fourth governorate of the Kurdistan Region by the Kurdistan Regional Government in 2014, along with Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok. It remains under Sulaymaniyah’s jurisdiction at the federal level.

Situated about 75 kilometers southeast of Sulaymaniyah, Halabja was the target of a 1988 chemical attack by the Ba’athist regime, resulting in the deaths of 5,000 people and injuries to more than 10,000 others. The long-term effects of that attack continue to affect residents.