Masoud Barzani holds ‘productive meeting’ with Iraq Parliament Speaker

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani on Saturday received an Iraqi delegation led by parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi to discuss political developments in Iraq and other issues concerning Erbil and Baghdad.

President Barzani said he had “a productive meeting” with Halbousi and wished him continued success in his post as parliament speaker.

Had a productive meeting with Mohamed al-Halbousi today at my office. I wished him continued success during his tenure as Speaker of the Council of Representatives pic.twitter.com/uQFpytfjmQ

— Masoud Barzani (@masoud_barzani) December 15, 2018

The two spoke about the ongoing efforts to form a government in Baghdad, “particularly the process of cabinet formation,” a statement on Barzani’s website said.

Iraq’s new government has yet to complete its cabinet as political parties wrestle for representation in the parliament six months after a controversial election marred with claims of corruption and vote tampering.

In late October, the Iraqi Parliament gave its vote of confidence to 14 ministers, but candidates to lead eight other ministries, including the coveted posts of interior and defense, were not included in the ballot. MPs were due to elect the remainder, but this has so far been delayed.

In another part of the meeting, Halbousi and Barzani underlined the need for Iraq to address the issue of displaced persons and reconstruction in liberated areas which have yet to take place.

The Kurdistan Region has borne the brunt of the years-long war with the so-called Islamic State (IS), providing a haven for hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Person (IDPs) and refugees.

Halbousi pointed to the fact that Kurdistan has housed a significant number of IDPs since IS’ emergence in 2014, “and expressed his gratitude for the Kurdistan Region’s generosity during those challenging times,” the statement said.

In a separate meeting, Halbousi met with Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Chancellor Masrour Barzani to discuss “a range of issues aimed at addressing unresolved questions between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq,” a KRSC statement read.

Chancellor Barzani called on the Iraqi Parliament speaker “to coordinate with all factions and Iraq’s new government to ensure Kurdistan receives a fair share” of the national budget, one of the many disputes in recent years between Erbil and Baghdad.

Relations between Iraq and Kurdistan deteriorated last year following the Region’s historic independence referendum.

Baghdad rejected the result of the vote and responded with a set of punitive measures, including airport closures and the use of military force to retake disputed territories.

Ties between the two sides have recently improved, most notably during negotiations to form Iraq’s new government, a process in which the parliament’s sizeable Kurdish bloc plays a key role.  

“Permanent agreements on these issues, including Article 140 of the Constitution, will position [the Kurdistan Regional Government] and the Federal Government [of Iraq] to focus on good governance and prosperity,” the KRSC statement concluded.