SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Parliamentary blocs, except for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and minorities, boycotted a session of parliament on Wednesday after a KDP lawmaker insulted another parliamentarian.
On Tuesday, KDP lawmaker Jalal Pareshan insulted Change Movement (Gorran) MP Shayan Kaka Salih during a session which the parliament held to discuss issues related to high fuel prices and unemployment of non-contract teachers, who have gone on strikes for nearly 20 days.
The Kurdistan parliament held a session on Wednesday to discuss the tension and comments of the KDP lawmaker.
Head of the KDP bloc apologized to the people of the Kurdistan Region and lawmakers for Pareshan’s comments against legislator Shayan.
Lawmakers who called for punishing Pareshan boycotted the parliament’s session after the legislature held a voting to accept the KDP’s apology.
As many as 46 lawmakers voted to approve the apology, while 32 others rejected it, according to Esta Media Network’s reporter.
Lawmakers from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Change Movement, Kurdistan Justice Group, Kurdistan Islamic Union and New Generation as well as independent MPs walked out of the session in protest of the voting.
The lawmakers said they were not informed that the meeting would be to vote on the KDP’s apology.
