Kurdish blocs to approve the food security bill, "despite reservations"

Shafaq News/ Kurdish blocs in the Iraqi parliament will give the emergency bill on food security and development a thumb up in the voting scheduled to take place later today, Wednesday, a source revealed.

"The Kurdish parliamentary blocs will participate in the voting on the food security bill today because it deals with the needs of the Iraqi people," the source said.

The head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's bloc in the Iraqi parliament, Harim Kamal Agha, said that the party endorses the food security bill in spite of the reservations, "particularly the funds allocated for developing the regions and governorates at a time nothing will be disbursed to the Kurdistan region."

"Indeed, some articles benefit the low-income families, employees, and citizens on social welfare," he added, "the bill allows lowering the price of food products and securing the items of the ration card."

"The bill pays the dues of the farmers, including Kurdistan's farmers, offers jobs to unemployed graduates, and regularizes the contract employees," he continued.

"It also assigns a special budget for cancer and thalassemia patients, subsidizes agriculture, electricity, and energy."

"For the reasons above, the PUK bloc will vote for the bill. Ofcourse, we will explain our points on the articles that might mismanage or waste the public funds."

The member of al-Siyada bloc, MP Nawras al-Issa, told Shafaq News Agency that the talks over the bill resulted in adding a few articles; "15 thousand three-year-contract for unemployed graduates at a salary fo 300,000 dinars distributed proportionally to the governorates."

"All unpaid lecturers, daily-wagers, and contract employees will be treated in accordance with decree 315," she added.