SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Saturday that the Region’s share of the federal budget is a right, not a privilege.
Barzani said the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad should be based on recognizing each other’s rights and duties under the Iraqi constitution.
“Kurdistan’s share of federal revenues isn’t a privilege; it’s a right,” Barzani said in a tweet.
“This dangerous precedent must quickly be reversed. We have an opening still to correct this injustice,” Barzani tweeted.
His comments came after the Iraqi Council of Representatives voted early on Thursday to approve the fiscal deficit financing bill, which allows the federal government to borrow 12 trillion Iraqi dinars ($10 billion) in internal and external loans in order to pay salaries of public servants. The loan was decreased from 42 trillion Iraqi dinars.
Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session due to their concern about the Kurdistan Region’s share set in the fiscal deficit financing law.
The law commits the Kurdistan Region to hand over non-oil revenues and an amount of oil that SOMO indicates to the federal government in exchange for an amount of money as payment for the Region’s public servants.
On Thursday, The KRG expressed concerns and signaled opposition to the law, saying it had consistently worked to find a “peaceful” resolution to the issues between Erbil and Baghdad on the basis of Iraqi constitution.
The Region’s presidency said in a statement that it would make “every effort” to defend the rights and entitlements of the Kurdistan Region’s people.
“The Kurdistan Region is looking with concern and utmost attention to this issue and will make every effort to defend the rights and entitlements of the people of Kurdistan,” it said.
