SULAIMANI (ESTA) — A high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will visit Baghdad on Wednesday to discuss the Region’s share of the federal budget for 2021, an official said.
The delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani will meet with senior Iraqi officials in an effort to reach an agreement over the Region’s financial entitlements, Talabani’s spokesman Samir Hawrami said on Tuesday.
“The goal of the visit is to continue talks and to reach an agreement over the suspending issues, particularly financial issue and the Kurdistan Region’s financial entitlements in the federal budget for 2021,” Hawrami said.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Change Movement (Gorran) held a tripartite meeting on Tuesday to discuss issues with Baghdad.
The Region’s ruling parties agreed to send a high-level political delegation to Baghdad for talks with the federal government and Iraqi parties to reach a deal and to resolve the suspending issues.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said during a meeting of Council of Ministers that a new round of talks should be held with the Kurdistan Region regarding salaries of public servants.
Hundreds of people protested in Sulaimani province in the last three days against salary delays and lack of services in the Region. Six protesters including one guard of a political party were killed and scores were wounded during the protests in several towns and cities in the province.
Angry protesters set fire to headquarters of political parties in Said Sadiq, Piramagroon, Darbandikhan and Kifri. Several government’s offices including the directorate of education and Asayish were also torched in Sharazoor and Takiya.
The High Security Committee in the Sulaimani province announced a 24-hour curfew between the cities in Sulaimani, Halabja, Garmian and Raparin, starting from 12 a.m. on Wednesday.
