ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Kurdistan Parliament speaker Rewaz Fayaq has repealed a decision to strip an outspoken opposition MP of immunity, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) colleague of Fayaq has told Rudaw. Parliament voted on May 7 to revoke the parliamentary immunity of Soran Omar, a Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) MP, allowing Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to sue him for libelous statements submitted to the parliament. Though supported by Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and parliament's minority blocs, the move was roundly condemned by other factions, including parliament speaker Fayaq's PUK, as an attack on parliament's democratic functions. Fayaq was among MPs who boycotted the vote in protest. "Today [Monday], the speaker of the parliament revoked the decision [to strip Omar of immunity] because it was voted on in her absence as she had not led the parliament session," Luqman Wardi, a PUK MP, told Rudaw. "The speaker of the parliament has repealed the decision to strip the parliamentarian of immunity, based on parliament bylaws and her authorities," he added. In possible reference to the PUK leadership, KDP parliament bloc speaker Peshawa Hawramani said via Facebook that Fayaq made the decision to repeal the revocation of immunity under "pressure" and "threats of being sacked". Hawramani accused Fayaq of committing a "legal scandal", but one that will "bear no fruit". "Her decision is illegal, because the immunity was lifted in a vote. And there is no law in the parliament to back up the speaker's move," he added. Commenting on the revocation, Omar said he appealed the outcome of the May 7 vote to Fayaq 12 days after he had been stripped of immunity. In a Facebook post, Omar said; "thank you the speaker for revoking the illegal decision". The immunity saga began when Omar submitted documents to the parliament accusing the prime minister of owning a company and a bank, which could pose a political conflict of interests. Barzani responded to the accusations by filing a lawsuit against Omar in early April. Kurdish parliament had met to vote on the revocation of immunity for four MPs for various perceived infractions. Three of them were spared. Only Omar was stripped of his immunity.
