ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday slammed the Iraqi government for the delay in voting on Halabja’s ascension to a province and demanded compensation for Anfal victims.
“We must confront the federal government and remind the government of the demands of the Kurdish people and Halabja,” Barzani said in a speech during a visit to the city.
The Iraqi cabinet in March approved a bill to make Halabja a province, in recognition of the 35th anniversary of Saddam Hussein’s brutal chemical attack against the city. For the decision to be finalized, the Iraqi legislature needs to pass the bill through a vote.
The Iraqi cabinet in March last year approved a bill to make Halabja a province, in recognition of the 35th anniversary of Saddam Hussein’s brutal chemical attack against the city. For the decision to be finalized, the Iraqi legislature needs to pass the bill through a vote but the session continues to be postponed.
“On the one hand, they are committing crimes against us, on the other hand, they are holding our throats and cutting off our breath. On the other hand, they are presenting themselves as saviors and misleading people,” the prime minister added.
The delay in the vote has been attributed to the fact that other areas of federal Iraq seek to separate and become provinces. For instance, Tal Afar wants to become an independent province from Nineveh.
Halabja used to be a city within Sulaimani province. Some residents have complained that not much has changed since its status has been changed to province by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
According to a statement from Barzani’s office, 500 people will be employed by KRG institutions in Halabja.
During the tenure of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi cabinet approved a bill to make Halabja the country’s 19th province in December 2013. Nonetheless, the deterioration of Erbil-Baghdad relations that followed that followed soon after and disagreements between the Sunni and Shiite blocs of the parliament prevented the legislature from officially passing the bill.
Barzani stated that Halabja is a clear example of the brutality of the previous regime, calling on the Iraqi government to offer compensation to the victims. “This kind of behavior is unacceptable and we must take a stand to force the federal government to compensate the relatives of Halabja and all the people of Kurdistan,” he noted.
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