Iraqi MP: Every Iraqi Government Has Targeted Kurdistan
MP Vian Dakhil accuses Baghdad of consistently violating the constitution and creating crises for the Kurdistan Region. She condemns the suspension of salaries as baseless and politically motivated, stressing that Erbil has fulfilled all legal obligations transparently.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Vian Dakhil, a member of the Iraqi parliament and spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc, stated on Sunday that successive Iraqi governments have consistently created problems for the Kurdistan Region, accusing Baghdad of lacking commitment to the country’s constitution.
Speaking to Kurdistan24, Dakhil asserted that every administration in Baghdad, regardless of political affiliation, has known the provisions of the Iraqi Constitution. “They were with us when we drafted the constitution following the fall of the dictatorship,” she said.
She criticized Baghdad’s recurring disputes over the Region’s entitlements, arguing that federal authorities often pretend to be unaware of the Kurdistan Region’s constitutional rights. “Whenever it comes to our rights and entitlements, they act as if they don’t know anything about the Constitution,” she remarked. “But they’ve studied it well and understand it clearly. What they refuse to acknowledge is Article 117, which affirms that the Kurdistan Region is a constitutionally recognized federal region with its own government and parliament.”
Highlighting ongoing tensions, Dakhil noted that the Region has faced political and financial challenges under every Iraqi government since 2005. “Each year, new crises are manufactured under different pretexts, be it through the Ministry of Finance or the Natural Resources sector, all coordinated to exert pressure on the Kurdistan Region,” she said.
Dakhil emphasized that agreements between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and successive Iraqi governments have consistently included clear provisions on key issues such as oil and gas legislation and the KRG’s share of the federal budget. “Our agreements include 12 explicit and transparent points,” she noted. “Yet each time, Baghdad fabricates new narratives to escape its obligations.”
She also underscored that the KRG has submitted all the required documentation to Baghdad in a transparent and timely manner. “The Kurdistan Region’s institutions provide all their files clearly and transparently to Baghdad,” she said. “But the federal government ignores these and chooses to issue politically motivated statements against the Region.”
Dakhil concluded by warning that Baghdad’s suspension of public sector salaries in the Region, under the pretense that the Kurdistan Region had already received its entire budget allocation, is not only baseless, but one of the gravest missteps yet. “There is no evidence or factual basis for such a decision,” she stated.
