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News / Kurdistan

"Guidelines of the Ministry of Culture are contrary to the journalism-law"

In a press conference on thursday in Sulaymanyah, Alina Romanowski, US Ambassador to Iraq, expressed concern about the arrest of journalists and the violations against the journalists in the Kurdistan region, and she believed that "Guidelines of the Ministry of Culture are contrary to the journalism-law".

US ambassador to Baghdad: We Hope the KRG Oi Export Will Resume Soon

In response to Draw Media question about the visit of the United State's Head of energy Affairs in the Middle East and north africa region to the Kurdistan region and the result of the discussions on the energy issues, US ambassador to Baghdad Alina Romanowski said “This visit was designed to better understand the issues of both sides of the issue, and to see how the United States can support the dialog that goes on between all parties” In a press conference on Thursday Romanowski said that, “Another component of the discussions and the focus of our representatives visit here was also to gain a better understanding of how the United States and the international community can support to solve this issue.” She added that “The fact we have representatives from our Energy Bureau from state department only demonstrate how important this issue is, to not just international oil and energy issues but also how important that KRI, Iraq and the United States take these issues seriously and it’s a very important core component our relationship” Regarding the hope that the oil exports will resume soon, the US ambassador to Baghdad said, “I am not going to speculate when those discussion are going to be concluded, and whether or not they will produce this kind of result but we certainly hope they will”.

an Expert in Media Law: I Suggest the Ministry of Culture's Guidelines for Media Work to Be Rejected

In the presence of a number of journalists and university professors, Saman Fawzi, a university professor and expert in media law, discussed the new guidelines of the Ministry of Culture for media work. The discussion focused on the advantages and disadvantages of the guidelines that recently published by the government's official newspaper (Waqaii Kurdistan). Saman Fawzi pointed out the weaknesses in the guidelines of the Ministry of Culture and said, "The directive contains many dangerous points for journalists and media outlets. It is not even useful for amendment, so it should be rejected". Weaknesses of the Ministry of Culture's guidelines: • Because there is no parliament to pass a law to regulate the work of the media, the government has taken the opportunity to issue this guideline. • However, there must be an independent committee to issue these guidelines, not belonging to the government. • In the guidelines, the title is one thing, and the content is something else. There are many problems in terms of form. There are ethical issues, but they are treated as laws in this guideline, which is a problem. • According to Article 9, this directive does not cover the field of journalism and journalists, but why later does it define journalists? We do not understand what it means. • Licensing issue: France has not had a journalism license for more than 100 years. Kurdistan was the last place that denied the license in the journalism law. But now the directive says the license is under the authority of the Ministry of Culture, but after the approval of the Ministry of Interior, which it creates many problems. • There are many taxes and fees: In Article 7, the satellite (40) million dinars, Television (20) million, Fees of broadcasting companies (30) million dinars, This is a blow to the free media that cannot afford that amount. • Article 4, paragraph 4, deals with defamation, insult and harassment. Nobody knows what they mean by annoying? These concepts carry different interpretations. • Article 4, paragraph 17 states that the criteria for media content are issued by the Media and Information Office of the Kurdistan Regional Government. That is, the government tells the media what to do and what to publish. • Article 11 states that a board of representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Culture and the Media and Information department shall be formed to implement this directive. That is, the government itself implements the guidelines on journalists. • In Article 13, paragraph, discusses the closure of electronic publishing tools and social media pages. This is a very severe punishment, It is like an execution for journalism. • Article 12, paragraph 12, states that the disclosure of government documents is not authorized for publication, that is, no government documents should be published in the future, all those documents related to the corruption cases in the government should not be published. • In the guidelines of the Ministry of Culture, the treatment for shadow media, those whose background is unknown and the character behind it is unknown, insults and attacks this and that, is not addressed, which it should have had a solution to those issues. • Between rejecting, canceling and amending this guideline of the Ministry of Culture, I am in favor of rejecting it completely because you do not know where to change it.

Minister of Culture issues several guidelines for media work

Hama Hama Saeed, Minister of Culture and Youth of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), has issued instruction No. 1 of 2023 on media work in the Kurdistan Region. This directive has caused a reaction of some journalists who fear that it is an attempt to restrict media work in the Kurdistan Region Article (8) of the directive states: This directive, along with the journalism law in the Kurdistan Region, will be a criterion for deciding on issues that go before the judiciary. This means that this guideline will be applied and decided in the courts of the Kurdistan Region alongside the Journalism Law.

A Team from Netherlands Embassy Paid a Visit to Draw Media

A team of the Netherlands embassy in Baghdad visited Draw Media to discussed the elections and the issue of freedom of expression in the Kurdistan Region. Bart Hoffmann, First Secretary Political Affairs and Human Rights at Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Iraq, Yeli Jocham, First Secretary Political Affairs and Human Rights and Yasser Kuti, Senior Advisor on Political Affairs and Human Rights from the Netherlands embassy, discussed the election issues. As an organization that has published reports and analysis on the election issue, Draw Media team presented the problems and obstacles facing the elections with statistics and data to the Netherlands embassy team. Regarding the violations against the media and journalists, Draw media presented the decline of freedom of expression and the increase of violations againist journalists.

KRG Launches Business Registration System

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has launched an online portal to streamline and expedite the registration process for businesses. This initiative aims to reduce costs and simplify procedures, making it easier for entrepreneurs to establish their companies in the region. With the new online system (business.digital.gov.krd), business owners can conveniently submit their applications from anywhere and at any time. Upon registration, they will receive a (Unique Entity Number) that grants access to various governmental services. The platform is a collaborative effort between the Kurdistan Parliament, the offices of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the Department of Information Technology, and the General Directorate of Company Registration at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. It replaces the previous time-consuming and expensive process that required entrepreneurs to make multiple visits to the General Directorate of Company Registration. This new system eliminates these frustrations and removes obstacles to economic development, business growth, and entrepreneurial initiatives. The benefits of this portal are numerous. The registration process is now both time and cost-efficient. Additionally, the platform reduces registration costs by 80% and offers assistance in registering company names and protecting trademarks. The new system adheres to international standards by providing a comprehensive list of business activities categorized according to industry standards. This transparency helps entrepreneurs make informed decisions about business opportunities and obtain the necessary information. This modern system represents a significant milestone in business registration within the Kurdistan Region. It will play a crucial role in the development and advancement of the economic sector, ultimately leading to increased employment opportunities. The Kurdistan Regional Government is committed to public service through digitalisation, aiming to facilitate development and good governance. Department of Media and Information

The Burdens and Consequences of Economic Independence for Kurdistan’s Regional Government

Both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government of Iraq have been in dispute over the production and export of oil from the region for nearly 16 years. After the KRG passed the Oil and Gas Law in 2007, it began to sign oil contracts with foreign companies. Here is a publication regarding "the Burdens and Consequences of Economic Independence for Kurdistan’s Regional Government", published by Draw Media Organization. Its available now in (English, Arabic, Kurdish). - The Burdens and Consequences of Economic Independence for Kurdistan’s Regional Government: - تداعيات وأثار الاقتصاد المستقل - بارگرانی و لێكەوتەكانی ئابوری سەربەخۆ

Parliamentarians must return the salaries they received after November 6, 2022

Draw Media According to the decision of the Federal Court, the Kurdistan parliament has been illegal for seven months since November 6, 2022, which means the parliamentarians must return the salaries they received in the past 6 month. The total amount of the salaries that is supposed to be returned is (3.395.300.000) dinars. Also, the six parliamentarians who were sworn in after November 6, 2022, must return their salaries, which is (102) million dinars.

Iran calls to disarm the Kurdish forces

Iran has called on the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to disarm Kurdish forces in the east of Kurdistan and deploy them in two UN camps in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, or expel them from the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. Both sides agree, but before implementation, they asked Qasim al-Araji to go to Washington and warn them, so that the Kurdistan Region does not face US pressure. Two conditions ! Kurdistan Regional Government Interior Minister Rebar Ahmad, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Security Agency Hiwa Ahmad, and Iraqi National Security Council Advisor Qasim al-Araji visited Tehran. The visit was to discuss the latest measures related to border security, referring to the recent agreement between Iraq and Iran, the agreement is specific to control the borders of the Kurdistan Region with Iran. Four days ago, before going to Tehran, Qassem al-Araaji visited Sulaimani and left the Kurdistan Region for Iran. Araaji went to Erbil a month earlier for the same purpose. According to the information obtained by several sources, during the visit to Tehran, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary General of the National Security Council of Iran, who recently replaced Ali Shamkhani, put two demands before the joint security delegation of the Iraqi government and Kurdistan Region : • First: Iranian opposition forces should be disarmed inside the Kurdistan Region and placed in two UN camps in Sulaimani and Erbil. • Second : Or these parties should be armed and expelled from the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. Hiwa Ahmad, representing the PUK, and Rebar Ahmad, representing the KDP, listened to Iran's latest demand on the fate of the Kurdish parties in the east and reportedly agreed with Iran's demands, but asked not to rush them. Kurdistan between Tehran and Washington Before his visit to Tehran, Reber Ahmad told Qasim al-Araji that the Kurdistan Region is committed to the security agreement between Iraq and Iran. A source told Darw Media that the PUK and PDK have requested that, an Iraqi security delegation to visit the United States to inform them of the situation, so that the United States does not put pressure on the Kurdistan Region while implementing Iran's demands. Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araaji is scheduled to visit Washington in the coming days at the request of the PUK and KDP, the source said.

The Federal Court will meet on the PUK's complaints

The Federal Court is scheduled to meet on June 11, 2023 on the complaints of the PUK on the issue of (The quota seats, electoral system and the voter registration). Which are related to the electoral Law in the Kurdistan Region: Earlier this month, the PUK filed a number of complaints against the speaker of the Kurdistan parliement through its faction. - The quota seats in the Kurdistan Region - Voter registration and file registration system - Electoral system and single constituency in the Kurdistan Region According to Draw Media information, its scheduled that hearing on the complaints of the PUK will take place on June 11, 2023.

The problem of border crossings

Draw Media Out of the 32 border gates in the Kurdistan Region, only six have been officially recognized by Baghdad. 13 companies operate at the border gates. Eight different forces guard the border points. The goods imported to the Kurdistan Region are not subjected to all the necessary inspections. • There are 32 border gates in the Kurdistan Region, 6 of which are officially recognized by the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, and 20 of which are not recognized by the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, (6) other gates are only recognized by the Kurdistan Region and not officially recognized by Iraq. • The volume of trade between the Kurdistan Region, Turkey and Iran was ($16 billion), of which 48% was through Turkey, 18% through Iran, and the rest with other countries. • KRG customs revenue in 2022; Monthly (140 billion) dinars. That was (1 trillion and 680 billion) dinars yearly, out of (4,800,000,000,000) dinars, which is the annual non-oil revenue of the Kurdistan Regional Government. • In the Iraqi budget law, the revenue of the border points of the Kurdistan Region is estimated at (1 trillion and 560 billion) per year, which means that the revenue of the border points accounts for about 35% of the non-oil revenue. • (13) companies in different fields participate in the management of the border points of the Kurdistan Region, all these contracts were without competition, 25% of the revenue of the border points of the Kurdistan Region goes to the expenses of the companies. • Eight different security and military forces are on duty to protect the customs gates of the Kurdistan Region. • 80% of the products and goods imported to the Kurdistan Region are not subjected to all the necessary inspections. Prepared by: Stop Organization/ Supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)

Judicial Council unable meet to swear in the two members of the Electoral Commission

Draw Media The Kurdistan Judicial Council is scheduled to meet today and the swearing-in of the two new members of the Election Commission is on the agenda, but the quorum of the meeting has not yet been reached. Because it requires the presence of (3/4) of the members. That is, 6 out of the eight members of the Judicial Council, must be present. The Judicial Council currently consists of eight members, three of whom are from Sulaimani and five from Erbil and Duhok. After the session of the Kurdistan Parliament on May 22 and the chaos in the hall and the adjournment of the session by the Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament, the Deputy Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament has sent a letter to the Judicial Council to re-activate the commission and appoint two members (Ali Bandi and Kamran Nashat Bakr). The swearing-in of the two members of the commission, is in today's agenda of the Judicial Council. However, according to (Draw) information the quorum of the meeting has not been reached yet, because the meeting requires the presence of (3/4) of the members. According to the second paragraph of Article (33) of Law No. (23) of 2007 of the Judicial Council of the Kurdistan Region, the meeting of the Judicial Council requires the presence of (3/4) members. Currently, the Judicial Council has (8) members, which means (6) members must be present for the meeting. According to (Draw) information, so far, the three members of the Sulaimani judicial council have not showed up for the meeting, so the meeting of the judicial council will not meet the quorum requirements. According to paragraph (a) of Article 3 of the Rules of Procedure of the Judicial Council of the Kurdistan Region, "the meeting of the Judicial Council shall not be held until three-fourths of the members of the council are present. Therefore, the Judicial Council has not been able to organize its meeting and the two members of the commission to swear- in.

The changes in the share of the region are dishonesty against the region

While he was harvesting with farmers in Erbil, Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq said that, “the changes in the Kurdistan Region's share of the federal budget are dishonesty, oppression and conspiracy against the Kurdistan Region, but we will confront this conspiracy in any way and will not allow it to succeed.” The prime minister also criticized the Kurdish parties who cooperated in issuing this decision, "What is unfortunate is that the local parties involved in this conspiracy," he said. “Even worse, they should consider the reduction of the powers of the Kurdistan Region as an achievement for themselves. But Barzani emphasizes that they assure people that this is a sterile attempt and will not succeed.

US court rules in favor of Masrour Barzani

Draw Media According to a court document sent to (Draw Media), the US court in Virginia ruled in favor of Masrour Barzani and rejected the complaint of Shinyar Anwar, a female civil activist. According to the court's decision, "because personal justification over defendant does not exist, plaintiff's complaint must be dismissed." However the plaintiff believes that the trial is not over yet and the rejection is only one thing: there is no evidence to prove that Masrour Barzani lives in Virginia. The judge described the issue as a political conflict between Masrour Barzani and Shnyar Hassan. "The game doesn't end here, they will continue," Hassan wrote on his Facebook page. On December 7, 2021, The American Prospect magazine published a report attaching several documents with Masrour Barzani's signature on the documents of ownership of a property worth (18) million dollars. Two days later, the KRG prime minister's office issued a statement calling the report groundless, saying the evidence was "false", and claiming that the journalist who prepared the report has a relationship with (Shnyar Anwar Hassan) the wife of a former Iraqi Kurdish parliamentarian.

Authority to spend the oil revenues of the Kurdistan region

Draw Media According to Article 14 of the budget law, approved by the Iraqi Finance Committee, the Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami authorizes the payment of oil money to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, under the supervision of the Iraqi Financial Supervision Bureau. Article 14, Paragraph one: The Ministry of Finance of the Iraqi Central Government will deposit the revenues from the oil production of the Kurdistan Region in a bank account with the Central Bank without any deductions for any purpose. The Ministry of Finance, under the supervision of the Financial Supervision Bureau, delegates spending authority to the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government or any person he authorizes. This account is audited by the Financial Supervision Bureau, an expert committee of the Central Government Financial Supervision Bureau and all other similar accounts will be closed.