The Cabinet decisions during the 44th regular session

INA - BAGHDAD 

Prime Minister Muhammed S. Al-Sudani presided on Tuesday, over the 44th Cabinet session, where they discussed the country's current situation, tracked key government program priorities, and made agenda-related decisions.

"At the session's outset, PM Al-Sudani emphasized the significance of the upcoming December 18 provincial council elections, highlighting it as a crucial constitutional right. The government has fulfilled all prerequisites for the electoral process, including key decisions on financial, administrative, and technical aspects in the Cabinet,"  according to the statement by the PM Media Office, received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

As the election campaigns kick off tomorrow, Wednesday, PM Al-Sudani has reiterated his prior instructions to all ministries, emphasizing their duty to fully support the Independent High Electoral Commission in executing its tasks.

Al-Sudani has instructed all ministries and government agencies to release designated polling officers for two hours daily to attend training courses on voting procedures. This effort is in collaboration with the expedited distribution of one million and 900 thousand biometric cards to enable citizens to participate in the upcoming elections.

He further directed the Ministries of Interior and Defense, along with other security services, to promptly return members' cards to ensure their participation in the special ballot.

The Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Education to identify schools selected by the Independent High Electoral Commission as polling centers and halt any ongoing restoration work in those facilities. Furthermore, the Ministry of Trade and other relevant ministries with suitable spaces for ballot box storage are urged to cooperate with the IHEC in this matter.

Also, Al-Sudani emphasized that one of the government's crucial responsibilities is to ensure the success of the elections, meet all necessary requirements, and create a safe and stable environment for citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

 The Cabinet then continued to discuss the topics on the session’s agenda.

Regarding the sports sector, and with the aim of supporting sports clubs participating in the Professional Football League, the Cabinet approved the following:


1. To optimize stadium usage, the Ministry of Youth and Sports will rent its stadiums to participating Professional Football League clubs (up to one stadium for every two clubs), with clubs covering stadium facility refurbishment costs from the allocated amounts detailed in Paragraph (3/A). This arrangement will be coordinated with a special committee comprising LaLiga, the League, and the Clubs, responsible for assessing actual needs and providing the final decision on this matter.


 2- Amending Paragraph (8) of the Cabinet Resolution (289 of 2017) amended by the Cabinet Resolution (25 of 2021) to become as follows:

 - The annual support for clubs in the Iraqi Professional Football League will be increased to 4 billion dinars from the previous 2 billion dinars. This adjustment applies to the following clubs: Al-Zawraa, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Talaba SC, Al-Shorta, Al-Hodood SC, Al-Karkh, Al-Kahrabaa SC, Al-Minaa SC, Al-Naft, and Naft Al-Wasat.


 3- The club is to allocate one billion dinars from the allocation mentioned in paragraph (2) for infrastructure and staff development, as follows:

a. 850 million dinars for infrastructure improvements (stadiums and buildings) in compliance with LaLiga standards.

b. 150 million dinars for the development of club personnel, including administrative, financial, legal, marketing, technical, media, and program-related staff.

4. A strong emphasis on the activation of Paragraph (7) from the Cabinet Resolution (289 of 2017), with this being the final debt payment.

5. Ministries or companies providing support to the clubs must present a 50% bank guarantee to cover the payments owed to players and coaches. This is a necessary condition for obtaining a license to participate in the professional league.

6. The disbursed funds will be closely monitored by the Federal Board of Supreme Audit.

7- The allocation for clubs affiliated with ministries will be sourced from the profits of the ministry's companies, and distributed among these companies based on their respective profits. Alternatively, it may come from funds associated with the ministry, such as the Higher Education Fund and the Education Fund, or from collection amounts managed by the ministry. It is essential to inform the Ministry of Finance for record-keeping or obtain it from their allocations.

The Cabinet has passed a bill to regulate the rights of victims of the Ibn al-Khatib Hospital, Al-Naqa Center, and Al Hamdaniyah fire incident. The bill has been forwarded to the Parliament in accordance with the Constitution's provisions.


Regarding the legal amendments, the Cabinet approved the recommendation to the Parliament regarding amending the bill for amending the Penal Code No. (111) of 1969, which was approved by the Cabinet pursuant to its resolution (23355 of 2023) by adding a new clause to the bill according to the following:

 - (A criminal case will be permanently closed if the victim withdraws their complaint before a final verdict is reached. However, if the withdrawal happens after the verdict is issued, the implementation of the ruling will be suspended.).

In the realm of foreign relations, the Cabinet has given its approval for the reopening of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Malaysia in the Republic of Iraq. This decision is grounded in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the Foreign Service Law (45 of 2008). It's important to note that Iraq also maintains a resident embassy in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The Cabinet has endorsed a set of executive measures concerning electronic payment systems (POS) as part of the government's economic and financial reform efforts. Further details regarding these measures will be released at a later time.

The Cabinet discussed other topics on the agenda and took the following decisions:

First, the Cabinet has approved the Ministerial Council for Human Development's recommendation (23025 B), which encompasses the endorsement of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking in Iraq for the years 2023-2026 and the National Plan to Combat Human Trafficking for the year 2023. This approval takes into consideration the established observations regarding the national strategy to combat human trafficking, as well as the notes contained in the attached National Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, along with the opinion of the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Cabinet.

Secondly, the Cabinet has granted approval for the bill related to the first amendment to the Industrial Cities Law No. (2) of 2019. This decision aligns with the communication from the Ministry of Industry and Minerals dated August 2, 2023, considering the advice of the General Secretariat of the Cabinet. The amended bill will be sent to the Council of State for a thorough review and then returned to the General Secretariat of the Cabinet to be forwarded to the Parliament, in accordance with constitutional provisions.

Thirdly, the Cabinet has approved the recommendation from the Ministerial Council for Human Development (23024 B) concerning the medical research centers project at the University of Mosul. This includes the amendment of paragraph (1) of Cabinet Resolution (282 of 2021) to designate the medical research centers at the University of Mosul as both educational (advisory) and therapeutic (service). Additionally, a bill or regulation is being prepared to address the establishment and operation of these medical research centers.