Local
A significant legislative initiative is drawing attention in Baghdad, as the Parliamentary Services Committee prepares to discuss a vital draft law. This proposed legislation aims to regulate the division of lands and orchards located within the capital's master plan. The project's objective is to transform these areas into organized residential plots, while simultaneously safeguarding citizens' rights and outlining the procedures for state-owned lands within this transformative framework. This parliamentary-backed project traces its origins to Cabinet Decision No. 207 of 2019, which had approved and referred the draft law to the Council of Representatives. In this context, committee member Taqi Al-Waeli stated in an interview with the official newspaper that the law is a "carried-over" item from previous parliamentary sessions, and its first reading is expected in upcoming sittings, reflecting its ongoing necessity. Al-Waeli clarified that the fundamental purpose of this legislation is to ensure citizens secure their full rights to lands situated within the master plan of cities. He pointed out that altering the classification of these properties from orchards or agricultural lands to residential can only be achieved through a clear legal framework. Therefore, this law was introduced to address this existing situation. The draft law specifies detailed instructions regarding the conversion of agricultural lands into residential plots, alongside defining the procedures to be followed for state-owned lands. Al-Waeli affirmed that the enactment of this legislation will regulate the status of lands within cities' master plans, providing a comprehensive legal framework to address lands still classified as agricultural despite their inclusion within urban expansion and the city's fundamental design. Al-Waeli elaborated that this law represents a strategic step toward organizing the file of orchards and lands situated within the master plan's boundaries. It achieves this by establishing specific controls and procedures that allow for the effective handling of their legal status, instead of leaving this file in limbo between its agricultural classification and the necessities of its location within the cities' master plan.
