Iraq parliament votes in favour of Halabja as 19th governorate

Iraqi policemen hold their national flag and march during a parade in Baghdad on 10 January 2019 to mark the graduation of 158 Iraqi policemen after a six-month training period. [AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP / Getty]

The Iraqi parliament has voted unanimously on Tuesday to oblige the federal government to declare Halabja as the 19th governorate in Iraq, announced the parliament’s media department.

The parliament’s announcement coincided with the 33rd anniversary of the bombing of Halabja with chemical weapons by Saddam Hussein’s regime, which led to the deaths of nearly 5,000 people.

Iraq consists of 18 governorates, three of which are organised by region, namely: Erbil, Dohuk, and Sulaymaniyah. The remaining 15 governorates relate directly to the federal government.

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