PM Barzani, Ammar al-Hakim Discuss Oil Exports and Upcoming Parliamentary Elections
The meeting focused on the urgent need to address pending issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement, on Tuesday to discuss key national issues and the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The meeting focused on the urgent need to address pending issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government. Both sides emphasized the importance of the recent tripartite agreement and the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, noting that the deal should serve as a solid basis for passing a comprehensive oil and gas law.
Prime Minister Barzani also highlighted the KRG’s ongoing reform initiatives, including the Runaki program, efforts to provide stable electricity, the activation of the banking system, and the MyAccount program. He expressed the KRG’s readiness to support the federal government in improving power supply nationwide, citing the Region’s successful experience in energy efficiency and digital governance.
The discussions further covered the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, with both leaders expressing hope that the polls will usher in a new era of cooperation, understanding, and protection of the rights of all components of Iraq.
Iraq’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for November 11, when voters will choose 329 members of the Council of Representatives. The council will subsequently elect the country’s president and approve the appointment of the prime minister.
The upcoming vote will be held under a new electoral system introduced after the 2018 elections and nationwide protests from 2019 to 2021, shifting from proportional representation to a single non-transferable vote system in 83 multi-member constituencies.
Al-Hakim is an Iraqi politician who led the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq from 2009 to 2017. He currently heads the National Wisdom Movement, a political coalition in Iraq established to contest the 2018 general election.
