KDP Bloc to Boycott Iraqi Parliamentary Session, Calls Meeting ‘Illegal’
The KDP bloc said it will boycott the parliamentary session, citing legal objections and rejecting efforts to address budget and oil disputes without consensus.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc in Iraq’s Council of Representatives will not participate in a parliamentary session scheduled for Tuesday evening, a KDP lawmaker told Kurdistan24, citing concerns over the session’s legality and the handling of disputes related to the Kurdistan Region’s budget and oil exports.
Sherwan Dubardani, a KDP member of parliament, said the bloc would boycott the session, arguing it was not properly authorized under parliamentary procedures. He stated that the session lacked approval from the Second Deputy Speaker, Farhad Atrushi, whose consent is required under the legislature’s internal bylaws.
According to Dubardani, the Iraqi Parliament’s presidency—comprising the Speaker and two deputies—must reach consensus to approve the agenda for any session. He said the absence of Atrushi’s approval rendered the planned meeting “illegal.”
The session is expected to focus on Iraqi oil exports, with both the federal oil minister and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s minister of natural resources invited to attend, according to parliamentary scheduling.
Dubardani said the KDP bloc also objected to what it described as attempts to resolve disputes over the Kurdistan Region’s budget share and oil exports through pressure rather than agreement. He stated that such issues “cannot be decided by force and will not be accepted,” adding that the bloc rejects the approach being pursued.
The KDP lawmaker said his party supports resolving outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad through dialogue, and that discussions should be based on a prior statement by President Barzani. He added that the bloc remains prepared to engage in negotiations under that framework.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region over revenue sharing and control of oil exports, which have been subject to repeated negotiations and disagreements.
The KDP bloc’s decision not to attend the session underscores its opposition to both the procedural basis of the meeting and the substance of the proposed discussions.
This article was updated on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 03:04pm.