SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Thursday that behavior of the Iraqi political forces aimed at starving people in the Kurdistan Region, after they adopted a loan law in the parliament without Kurds’ consent.
Barzani released a statement on the occasion of the New Year, hoping the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and humanity will overcome hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Region’s president said current behavior of the Iraqi political parties in the parliament were “very unfair” towards the Kurdistan Region, referring to approval of the loan law, also known as the fiscal deficit financing law.
The law, adopted by the Iraqi parliament last month, 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.
Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session due to concern over the Region’s financial entitlements in the law.
“This behavior is contrary to the spirit of shared destiny and coexistence, and [the federal government is] not feeling any responsibility towards a part of the Iraqi state employees,” Barzani said.
“The Iraqi federal government should compensate the Kurdistan Region for what it was deprived of its financial dues for the year 2020 that were set by previous agreements,” he added.
The Region’s president also said he expects the United Nations, international community and the Kurdistan Region’s partners to play their role in resolving issues between Erbil and Baghdad.
He further said the Kurdistan Region had shown willingness to resolve issues with Baghdad.
“The long breath of the Kurdistan Region’s negotiating delegation, which stayed more than two weeks in Baghdad, is evidence of the utmost goodwill and willingness of the Region to solve the issues,” Barzani stated.
“But it is unfortunate that there is not any good and practical response from the Iraqi federal government to the least financial rights of the Kurdistan Region,” he said.
“This is not at all a preparation for solving problems with the Kurdistan Region, but rather a punishment for the people of Kurdistan, which is neither legal nor constitutional in any way, and it is against the federal system, and comes only for political purposes and as a result of political decisions.”
Barzani further expressed the Region’s willingness, desire and will to reach a “final solution and agreement” with Baghdad on the basis of the Iraqi constitution that guarantees the rights and entitlements of the Region.
