Pirmam Summit Signals Growing Kurdish Unity Against Federal Cutoff
Foremost on the agenda of the meeting is the controversial decision by Iraq’s Ministry of Finance to suspend the Kurdistan Region’s financial allocations, a move seen by Kurdish parties as unconstitutional and politically motivated.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In a decisive political gathering on Saturday, top leaders and representatives of several Kurdish political forces convened in Pirmam under the supervision of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Executive Committee to address the escalating crisis over the Kurdistan Region’s financial entitlements, following the federal government’s abrupt decision to withhold salary disbursement.
As reported by Kurdistan Kurdistan24’s Nawras Abdullah, the Pirmam meeting aims to review the current political dynamics in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the wider region.
Foremost on the agenda is the controversial decision by Iraq’s Ministry of Finance to suspend the Kurdistan Region’s financial allocations, a move seen by Kurdish parties as unconstitutional and politically motivated.
The meeting is attended by a wide spectrum of party leaders and representatives. Including:
1- Fuad Hussein, Iraq's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
2- Salar Lala Sarhad, Member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Politburo
3- Dr. Majeed Hamadameen, Member of the Leadership Council of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
4- Mohammed Haji Mahmood, Head of the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party
5- Dana Ahmed Majid, Leader of the Gorran (Change) Movement's Political Bureau
6- Bekas Qadir – Member of the Politburo of the Islamic Movement
7- Abdullah Warti, Member of the Islamic Movement Politburo
8- Bapir Kamala – Secretary of the Toilers Party of Kurdistan
9- Mohammed Baziani – Representative of the Islamic Relations Movement
10- Abdulqadir Bazargan and Muna Qahwachi – Representatives of the Turkmen Reform Party
11- Kawa Mahmood – Secretary of the Communist Party
The backdrop of this urgent meeting is the letter issued by Iraq’s Ministry of Finance, which notified the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that it would suspend further salary transfers.
The Letter, citing provisions from the Federal Supreme Court and the General Budget Law, alleged that the Kurdistan Region had exceeded its allocated budgetary quota by failing to deliver 19.2 trillion Iraqi dinars in oil and non-oil revenues.
In response, the KDP’s Politburo released a strongly worded statement on Thursday, condemning Baghdad’s move, stating, “We inform the public in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region that the federal government continues to violate the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region. The recent letter from the Ministry of Finance is unconstitutional and contradicts the foundational agreements upon which the government was formed. It reflects the politicization of public servants’ livelihoods.”
The KDP further stated that the issue will be addressed during the Central Committee meeting scheduled for June 2, 2025. The Statement warned that f the Region’s financial dues are not paid before the Eid al-Adha holiday, the party will adopt a “firm position” and make it publicly known.
In parallel, Shakhawan Abdullah, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, also weighed in on Thursday. He revealed that Kurdish parliamentary blocs had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of Iraq, outlining the “injustices being committed against the employees of the Kurdistan Region, as these actions are pushing citizens into poverty.”
The developments in Pirmam highlight the growing political consensus within Kurdistan's diverse political spectrum in the face if federal financial pressures, suggesting that unless a breakthrough is achieved soon, the standoff may deepen further, risking greater instability in Erbil-Baghdad relations.
