KRG ‘will make every effort’ to reach agreement with Baghdad, PM Barzani says

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Wednesday that his government is actively working to resolve outstanding issues with the federal Iraqi government to overcome ongoing severe economic hardship that the region is facing.

“We in the regional government have made all attempts to find appropriate solutions for all the crises facing Kurdistan,” he said during a press conference held following a weekly regional cabinet meeting, adding, “We will make every effort to reach an agreement with the federal government in accordance with the foundations and principles of the permanent constitution of Iraq.”

Among multiple seemingly intractable issues that loom large between the autonomous Kurdistan Region and the federal government in Baghdad pertain to oil, disputed territories such as Kirkuk, and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) share of the national budget.

An official heading a KRG delegation charged with negotiating with Iraq’s federal government in Baghdad announced on Tuesday that the region is now committed to a recently passed but controversial budget law that includes provisions which in the past it has said were unconstitutional.

Read More: Kurdistan Region announces its commitment to federal budget deficit law

In Wednesday’s press conference, Prime Minister Barzani pointed out that, in doing so, “we have not left any excuses for Baghdad to fail to deliver its obligations to Kurdistan.”

“We have made several visits to Baghdad,” since his administration took power, he continued, “not only for salaries, but also because our territories are taken over and agricultural lands are being attacked,” in what many charge is a continuation of the anti-Kurdish “Arabization” campaign of the former regime of Saddam Hussein.

“We tried to carry out all the duties we are obligated to, but this obligation is two-way and the federal government has to fulfill some of its own duties,” pointing out that up to now the federal government has fallen far short of its legal responsibility to disburse salaries for government workers in the Kurdistan Region who are already suffering in an economic crisis made worse by the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting collapse of world oil prices.

“Regrettably, the federal government has not shown flexibility in our talks. Baghdad has not paid any of the budget share to Kurdistan for six months this year,” he added, explaining, “We agreed with [Iraqi Prime Minister] Mustafa Kadhimi that Baghdad would send the amount of 320 billion dinars, which is part of the region’s salaries, but only two months were sent.”

“But, we have not lost hope with Baghdad yet.”

Barzani expressed his regret that “the principle of partnership” was not Baghdad’s approach to the problem.

“We were ready to implement all the obligations of the region, but the salaries were delayed under false pretenses. After that, the Iraqi Council of Representatives approved the internal finance deficit law in the absence of the Kurdish blocs.”

“Despite this,” he concluded, “we announced our readiness to deal with the internal fiscal deficit law, but the law has no retroactive effect, even though the federal government was supposed to send the region’s dues.”

“The federal government must send the amount of 320 billion until the 2021 budget law is approved, but they have not done so.”

Editing by John J. Catherine