Opposition to sending Kurdistan Region’s budget is campaign ploy, Iraqi PM says

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi described opposition to sending the Kurdistan Region’s share of the budget as a campaign strategy, reiterating that the autonomous region has the right to a portion of the federal budget.

Kadhimi’s remarks came during an interview with state-media Al-Iraqiya aired on Thursday in which he outlined his cabinet’s progress and the country’s pressing issues.

Claims by Iraqi politicians and bureaucrats that money will be sent to the Kurdistan Region without Erbil fulfilling its obligations “are untrue,” Kadhimi said, describing them as electioneering.

Iraq is set to hold parliamentary elections on Oct. 10.

After months of negotiations, Erbil and Baghdad struck a deal for the federal budget in March. The law awards the Kurdistan Region 12.67 percent of the total budget based on the revenue from exporting crude oil. The calculation is based on an average price of 65,250 thousand dinars (about $45), and an export rate of 3.250 million barrels per day, including 250 thousand barrels per day sent from the Kurdistan Region.

Baghdad does send money to Erbil “in advance” so it can pay public sector employees’ salaries, he said, stressing it was not the budget.

“Kurdish people are our people,” Kadhimi said, and have a right to their salaries.

His remarks came after the Iraqi parliament’s finance committee’s public disapproval for sending any amount of money to the autonomous region.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced that Iraq will resume budget payments to the Kurdistan Regional Government as part of a deal reached with Kadhimi.