PM Barzani, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Discuss Financial and Constitutional Issues
KRG PM Masrour Barzani met Iraqi Parliament Speaker al-Mashhadani to resolve salary disputes and financial rights for Kurdistan’s employees. Both agreed salaries must not be politicized and pledged continued talks to promptly address these issues before upcoming elections.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Kurdistan Region's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani welcomed Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, on Sunday in Erbil for high-level talks on pressing financial and political matters.
The meeting was also attended by Shakhawan Abdullah, Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives, and Ziyad al-Janabi, Chairman of the Council’s Integrity Committee. Discussions focused primarily on resolving ongoing disputes between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government, especially concerning salaries and the financial entitlements of salaried employees in the Kurdistan Region.
According to sources present at the meeting, both sides agreed that “under no circumstances should the issue of salaries be mixed with any political dispute or discord,” stressing that “the salaried employees of the Kurdistan Region should bear the burden of these disagreements, which have been unfairly imposed on the people of Kurdistan.”
Both parties emphasized the urgent need to resolve the salary issue and ensure the prompt transfer of the Kurdistan Region’s financial entitlements. It was noted that “discussions between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government will continue to ensure that this problem is solved in the coming days.”
Additionally, the meeting reaffirmed the importance of respecting Iraq’s federal system and the constitutional rights guaranteed to the Kurdistan Region, underscoring a mutual commitment to uphold these legal frameworks in their future dealings.
This engagement between the KRG and the Iraqi federal government reflects ongoing efforts to bridge divisions and foster cooperation ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, amid persistent financial and political challenges facing Iraq.
