Iraqi Parliament to address reversal of Ba'athist land seizure decisions
"The law is designed to benefit all communities, as it would mark a significant step toward the implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution," she explained.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Yadgar Mahmood, a member of the Legal Committee of the Iraqi Parliament, announced that one of the key items on the agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session on Tuesday is the cancellation of Ba'athist-era decisions that led to the occupation of Kurdish and Turkmen lands.
In an interview with Kurdistan24, Mahmood emphasized that this decision is in the interest of not only Kurds and Turkmen, but also Arabs.
"The law is designed to benefit all communities, as it would mark a significant step toward the implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution," she explained.
Article 140 pertains to the normalization of Kurdish territories outside the Kurdistan Region control, particularly in Kirkuk and other ethnically mixed areas.
Mahmood noted that when the law was first introduced in parliament, it sparked considerable controversy.
"We, as members of the Legal Committee, have met twice with Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Supreme Committee for the Implementation of Article 140, to address concerns raised about the law. These consultations are what led to the law being placed on the agenda," she said.
The outcome of these discussions is expected to be clarified during Tuesday’s session.
However, Mahmood cautioned that there is a possibility the item could be removed from the agenda before the session takes place.
In previous sessions, parliament reviewed proposals to cancel Ba'ath regime decisions (1018) of 1982 and (554) of 1983, which allowed for the seizure of approximately 300,000 acres of land in Kirkuk and other areas.
These properties were allocated to Arabs brought in by the regime, displacing Kurdish and Turkmen residents. Should the law pass, it would result in the return of these lands to their rightful Kurdish and Turkmen owners.