Al-Nabaa Forum for Dialogue organized a panel discussion titled "Decentralization and the Future of State Administration in Iraq." The event hosted Governor Aqeel Al-Turaihi and Provincial Council Member Mohammad Al-Talqani, in the presence of Member of Parliament Ibtisam Al-Hilali, Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in the province, Ali Kammouna, alongside academic and union figures, writers, researchers, directors of research centers, civil society representatives, media professionals, and journalists.
The Forum's Head, Ali Al-Talqani, stated, "During the panel discussion, we discussed decentralization and the future of state administration in Iraq within an exceptionally candid and objective atmosphere of debate and dialogue."
He added, "Through these programs, we aim to eliminate centralization, which typically tends toward autocracy. For instance, there are complex procedures, routine, and abhorrent bureaucracy in processing any service transactions for citizens, where we find that centralization is usually confined to specific authorities. Hence, numerous studies have affirmed that the cause of the service and political decline in Iraq is centralization. Consequently, decentralization will serve to confront unilateralism and the monopolization of power, in addition to increasing opportunities for political participation."
For his part, the Director of the UNDP office in the province explained, "We believe that decentralization is a means or an instrument to achieve good governance, meaning it is not an end in itself. We also feel the importance of building a shared understanding among all segments of society regarding the meaning of decentralization, which encompasses three participating parties: the central government, the local government, and the community with all its institutions."
He added, "We must differentiate between decentralization and federalism. We also believe in the necessity of developing a mature, uniquely Iraqi model of decentralization that stems from Iraqi culture, akin to the Canadian and English models."