Iraqi Leaders Convene Over Iran-Israel Conflict; Kurdistan Salaries Highlighted
“Tonight’s meeting of the Coordination Framework was about the war between Israel and Iran, but for me, the issue of unpaid salaries of Kurdistan Region employees was more important than anything else," said Deputy Speaker of Iraqi Parliament Shakhawan Abdullah.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraq's Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), with the participation of the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, convened regarding the Iran-Israel war, regional tensions, and their impact on Iraq’s stability and security. Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Shakhawan Abdullah, said: “We raised the issue of salaries for Kurdistan Region employees.”
According to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Israeli attacks on Iran were condemned during the meeting, and emphasis was placed on unified stances. The use of Iraqi airspace by Israel was also rejected. In that context, members of the Coordination Framework reaffirmed their support for any governmental action aimed at addressing the issue.
The statement also stressed the importance of a unified political stance to confront the negative impacts of the regional situation on Iraq and emphasized prioritizing national interests to protect the country from any war or crisis.
Regarding the CF's meeting, Shakhawan Abdullah, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament and attendee of the meeting, issued a separate statement in which he wrote: “Tonight’s meeting of the Coordination Framework was about the war between Israel and Iran, but for me, the issue of unpaid salaries of Kurdistan Region employees was more important than anything else.”
He further wrote: “We clearly highlighted the consequences of withholding salaries and spoke about it. Yes, the agenda was focused on the Israeli-Iranian conflict and its dangers to Iraq, but the unresolved salary issue affecting over one million public servants in the Kurdistan Region must be a top priority for everyone.”
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament called for the issue to be resolved as soon as possible, stating: “Thankfully, some leaders expressed agreement on the matter.”
He also emphasized that, as of today—Tuesday—from a legal and administrative perspective, efforts to resolve this salary issue must continue.
