Salahaddin Provincial Council promises to protect the rights and entitlements of citizens in the framework of discussions and follow-ups on the local budget items and how to spend on projects, as a sign of attention to a project for follow up on local budget issues.
The 26th session of the provincial council, chaired by Adel Al-Sumaidaie last week, highly considering the slogan "budget rights" during the discussions, according to a reporter (KirkukNow) who attended the meeting.
"The council is committed to implementing the principle of people's participation in decision-making and selecting genuine projects of public interest, as well as the role of monitoring and fighting corruption," Al-Sumaidaie said.
The slogan "The Budget is Your Right" was mentioned as a reference to activate the role of the provincial council and raise awareness of citizens of their constitutional and legal rights, especially in the issue of the budget and other projects in the province.
"The Budget is Your Right" is an important project related to the lives of citizens in collaboration between KirkukNow Media Outlet and Wadi, a German-Iraqi NGO, with the support of the National Democratic Institute NDI - Iraq, dedicated to monitoring the role of provincial councils in the four provinces of Kirkuk, Nineveh, Diyala and Salahaddin.
The overall aim of the project is to further encourage transparency in the budget issue, while creating dialogue and understanding among citizens, officials, civil society and the media.
Al-Jamahir al-Watania (National Masses) coalition, which included a number of Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties, won the election and formed a local government with several other Sunni parties, including the Siyada (Sovereignty) and Hasm al-Watani (National Decisiveness) coalitions.
The provincial council of Salahaddin consists of 15 seats, four reserved for women, according to the population (over 1.6 million people) and based on the latest amendments to the electoral law of the Iraqi parliament and provincial councils.
The predominantly Sunni province of Salahaddin, about 135 kilometers north of the Iraqi capital, once home for Saddam Hussein, is under the control of Iraqi Security Forces ISF including the Shia-led paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces PMF, known as al-Hashid al-Shabi.
Presidency of the provincial council, Salahaddin, October 2024. Media of Council
"We are trying to implement the slogan of the rights budget, thus devoting our efforts to protect public wealth and choose realistic projects that will have a positive impact on people's lives," Ashwaq Salim, a member of the Salahaddin provincial council, told KirkukNow.
According to the Law on Unorganized Provinces in a Region No. 21 of 2008 – as amended, citizens have the right to participate and express their views in the budget discussions of their province, as stated in Article 7 of the law; The draft general budget of the province will be published in the media to hold seminars and conferences to involve the citizens of the province and civil society organizations and obtain their opinions.
Salahaddin council is preparing to discuss and follow up the budget items and how to spend it for ongoing and suspended projects, in addition to presenting new service projects in the district centers, especially in the fields of healthcare, transportation and drinking water.
On October 29th meeting attended by Salhaddin governor, the provincial council has voted for some senior positions and discussed the role of the council as an observer in the projects via reconstruction fund for war-stricken areas to develop the infrastructure, a statement by the council said.
In the meeting, Salahaddin Governor Badir Fahil pointed out the importance of the government's projects submitted to the council to vote on and before deciding to study the technical aspects of the projects. Council members also discussed several service issues, including the rehabilitation of local highways, damaged buildings and the construction of new schools.
Earlier in the last session, the council discussed the agricultural sector, in which the Agriculture Committee of the council, declared a report on this year's grain season, the Development, Planning and Investment Committee, read the results of their investigations. The provincial council unanimously approved the project plans taking into account the recommendations of the committee.
*This story has been produced as art of the "Budget is your Rights" initiative with support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
