Iraqi Parliament Postpones Vote on Halabja’s Provincialization Until Wednesday
Sherwani also noted an unusual distraction, revealing that a large television screen had been set up in the parliament cafeteria where MPs were watching the ongoing football match between Iraq and Palestine, rather than participating in the critical vote on Halabja's bid to become a province.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Iraqi parliament has postponed the vote on the provincialization of Halabja until Wednesday due to an insufficient quorum. Kurdistan24 reporter Dilan Barzan, who was on the ground in the parliament, reported that the session had already been delayed an hour earlier in the day because of the absence of several MPs.
Sipan Sherwani, a member of the Iraqi parliament, confirmed to Kurdistan24 that 129 members were present at the session, but the required number of lawmakers was still not met. Sherwani also noted an unusual distraction, revealing that a large television screen had been set up in the parliament cafeteria where MPs were watching the ongoing football match between Iraq and Palestine, rather than participating in the critical vote on Halabja's bid to become a province.
Sherwani expressed his concerns, stating, "There is still a mentality that is not ready to vote for the victims and the thousands of medals awarded for the chemical attack on Halabja to become a province."
This delay is not the first time that the bill to provincialize Halabja has faced setbacks. There are multiple parties within the parliament advocating for the governorship of other Iraqi districts, which has contributed to the ongoing deadlock. The people of Halabja, however, continue to hope for a successful vote that would grant the region the recognition it deserves.
