Michael de Laine

Governors from Kurdistan region speak in UK parliament

By Michael de Laine, Copenhagen, 24th January 2009

The governors of the three Kurdistan region provinces spoke to MPs, Lords, journalists and the public in the British parliament on Monday, the Nordic representation office of the Kurdistan Region government (KRG) said.

The provincial leaders from Erbil, Suliemaniah and Duhok thanked the UK parliament and government for their support and said that while many challenges remain, the three governorates have made significant strides since the liberation of Iraq in 2003.

Their visit to the UK is part of an initiative set up by Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to build capacity in the regional government and empower local government leaders. The governors will be working with the National School of Government in the UK to devise a KRG-funded training programme for provincial and local civil servants.

“We have made some improvements in providing services and strengthening civil society, but we still face problems,” said Nawzad Hadi, the governor of Erbil. “We hope to benefit more actively from the UK’s experience of running local and regional authorities.”

Hadi, Dana Ahmed Majeed, the governor of Suleimaniah, Dohuk governor Tamar Ramadan, and Ali Sindi, Prime Minister Barzani’s special adviser, answered questions on the likely impact of the provincial and general elections in Iraq, the provinces’ efforts to improve job opportunities, the private sector, women’s rights, rural areas and many basic services.

“The British parliamentarians’ invitation to the governors enabled them to share their views on developments in Kurdistan and further deepen understanding of the reality on the ground in Iraq,” said Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG’s high representative to the UK.

Meg Munn, a British MP who chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Kurdistan Region, hosted the meeting with Dave Anderson, another MP. Baroness Ramsey, Lord Ahmed, trade union leaders, journalists and the public attended the meeting.

The governors also met Ann Clwyd, MP, Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s envoy to Iraq on human rights.