Abadi promises to solve issues with KRG

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region MPs in the Iraqi parliament decided to return to Baghdad to attend an Iraqi parliament session and complete the quorum on Sunday.

Kurdish MPs from the three main Kurdistan Region parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Gorran Movement have returned to Baghdad.

The representatives of these parties hope to resolve some of the issues between the Federal Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

A Kurdish MP, Shakhawan Abdulla criticized MPs for not having returned to Baghdad at the same time.

“Kurdish MPs should have returned together and put pressure on the parliament speaker not to hold the session until all Kurdish MPs return,” he added.

A Parliament session was held on Sunday with the presence of the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and 167 MPs. However, after PM Abadi’s speech, the session was postponed until Monday.

Before the session, the Kurdish MPs met with the UN convoy to Iraq and Abadi. According to Tariq Gardy, a Kurdish MP, the purpose was “to ensure that the demands of the Kurdistan Region are met, and the promises given are pledged.”

“The formation of Abadi’s cabinet was based on 20 articles in which five were related to the Kurdistan Region and should have been implemented by the Iraqi government,” Gardy told Kurdistan24.

Abadi’s position was positive on the stalled issues between the KRG and the Iraqi government.

“He [Abadi] promised that he will resolve the disputes and disagreements with the Kurdistan Region and will start serious negotiations to reach a new agreement,” Gardy added.

Reporting by Baxtiyar Goran
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany and Ava Homa