KRG’s 9th cabinet focuses on transparency, accountability with parliament

The current cabinet strives to be more open than its predecessors, particularly in its dealings with Baghdad.

Kurdistan 24 2021/06/29 14:44

The Ninth Cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government was formed in July 2019. (Photo: KRG)

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ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government’s ninth cabinet, led by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, has strived to be one of the most open and transparent in the autonomous region’s governing history, as demonstrated by its dealings with the regional parliament.

Since its formation in July 2019, the current Council of Ministers has sought to enact a sweeping reform agenda that includes changes to the public sector, strengthening the Kurdistan Region's official institutions, enhancing security including the Peshmerga forces, and combating corruption with economic transparency and fair trade practices to resolve endemic problems.

The Kurdistan Regional Government is primarily made of the top three political parties in the Kurdistan Region: the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and the Gorran (Change) Movement.

The current cabinet strives to be more open with the regional parliament than its predecessors, particularly in its dealings with the federal government in Baghdad.

At the start of its work, the cabinet set out to improve the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad by forming a team to negotiate with its counterparts and resolve issues with the Iraqi government, including the critical federal budget and the Kurdistan Region’s stake in it.

Beyond its negotiations with Baghdad, the cabinet has kept members of parliament informed of its work, with the prime minister himself answering 435 questions from 111 MPs in just over two years, on topics ranging from public sector salaries to security in the disputed territories to the challenges of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

People of the Kurdistan Region are also better informed than in previous years, as the current government publishes data on its spending, projects in every sector, and plans for infrastructure and service improvements. Through press releases, media appearances, and data on government websites, people can easily access government information.

The cabinet is also in the early stages of discussing a Vision 2030, a 10-year plan for development in line with recommendations from the United Nations, NGOs, and academics.