SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) released a congratulatory statement on Sunday after the Iraqi parliament passed a landmark Article in the federal budget bill.
Iraqi legislators passed Clause (8) of Article 14 in the budget bill amid overnight voting which marked a new milestone for Kurdish politics in Iraq amid the tense relationships between the ruling parties.
Clause 8 in the article stipulates that if any of the Kurdistan Region provinces were treated unequally by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), it can directly receive a budget from the federal government in Baghdad.
In the meantime, according to Clause 8, the Kurdistan Regional Government pledges to prioritize salary payments for regional employees and pensioners, as well as settling investment dues for the provinces within the region, in accordance with the criteria established in this law.
“We extended our warmest congratulations,” the PUK politburo said in a statement.
The also statement sent distinguished words of gratitude to the PUK bloc inside the Iraqi parliament for enforcing the article in the bill.
“Your courageous efforts resorted insurance to the people of Sulaimani, Halabja, Raparin, and Garmian. No city will be ever punished any longer,” the statement said.
“People’s lives will no more be a means to be used for unjust competition,” the statement added.
PUK has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction against alleged discrimination by the KRG against provinces, where PUK is the dominant party, for unequal distribution of revenue, as well as deprivation of local governments and services departments from KRG’s revenue.
“Ultimately, the will of the people and the PUK have prevailed,” said the PUK bloc earlier.
