Kurdistan Region agrees to Baghdad's terms; awaits its response

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) delegation to Baghdad, Qubad Talabani, announced on Monday that the Kurdish side is waiting for a response from Baghdad, after it agreed to the provisions of the "budget deficit" law that the Iraqi parliament approved—despite the absence of representatives from the Kurdistan Region.

"We have been in Baghdad since last Wednesday in order to implement the budget deficit law, which was issued in the Iraqi parliament without the participation of the Kurdish political parties," Qubad Talabani, deputy head of the regional government, stated in a press conference.

Last month, the Iraqi parliament approved a budget deficit law in the absence of representatives from the Kurdistan Region, who boycotted the session over disagreements about a clause in the new law that Kurdish lawmakers described as “unfair” in allocating the share of the autonomous region in the federal budget.

Read More: Iraq’s parliament passes deficit law, despite Kurdish objections

"Despite our observations on this law, we came to Baghdad in order to implement this law, and we held many meetings with government officials and negotiated with official, party, and influential figures in Baghdad," Talabani explained in Monday’s press conference.

The controversial law stipulates handing over the region's oil and non-oil revenues to the federal government. Talabani indicated that the regional government was ready to abide by this condition, as he added, "We are awaiting Baghdad's decision in this regard and how much the share of the Kurdistan Region will be in the budget, after we agree to the condition."

"We have heard many words about the failure of negotiations with Baghdad,” Talabani said. But “we tell [people saying such things] that the negotiations have not failed. They are continuing, and we are here in Baghdad.”

“We will remain here until we reach an agreement,” Talabani affirmed.

“Any share that will be agreed upon for the region is not a gift to the people of Kurdistan,” he stated, “but rather their constitutional share from the general Iraqi budget. We do not expect others to give charity to us, but rather our rights."

Talabani also noted that "the political atmosphere in Iraq at the present time is complicated, as we go towards elections, so there are pressures on the political parties.”

He called on all sides "to have patience,” adding, “We are here in Baghdad to obtain the rights of the Kurdistan Region, especially the right of those with [government] salaries in the region, and I am confident that we will reach a positive result."

Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region. (Photo: Azhi Omer)

Editing by Laurie Mylroie