UNAMI chief urges Kurdish parties to 'quickly' resolve outstanding issues

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) chief on Thursday urged the Kurdistan Region’s parties to act quickly towards resolving their outstanding issues, stressing that the political parties “cannot afford to lose more time.”

Special Representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert briefed the United Nations Security Council on the latest developments in the situation concerning Iraq, addressing the efforts of the new Iraqi cabinet in confronting challenges, Erbil-Baghdad issues, and Intra-Kurdish tensions.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have been at loggerheads in recent months over the Region’s parliamentary elections, the transparency of the oil and local income of the provinces under their influence, and the assassination of a former PUK colonel in Erbil in October.

Hennis-Plasschaert said that while the recent meeting between the ruling parties offers a “glimmer of hope,” they must act “quickly and pragmatically” towards resolving their differences, as their divisions have “adverse effects” on the people and institutions of the Kurdistan Region.

The politburos of the KDP and the PUK held a high-level meeting in the latter’s stronghold of Sulaimani on Saturday.

“The Kurdistan Region’s political parties cannot afford to lose more time. Hence, swift compromises on outstanding fiscal, administrative, security and electoral disagreements are urgently needed,” she added.

Despite working together in the KRG, the two parties have established control over different parts of the Region, often being referred to as the “Yellow Zone” and “Green Zone“. The KDP is dominant in Erbil and Duhok provinces, while the PUK rules Sulaimani and Halabja.

The recent escalation of tensions has led PUK officials -including Deputy PM Qubad Talabani- to boycott the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) weekly meetings.

Erbil-Baghdad relations

Tensions have escalated in recent times between the Iraqi federal government and the KRG over oil and gas, the federal budget bill, and rulings from Iraq’s top court against the Kurdistan Region.

The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court last week ruled against the payment of the Kurdistan Region’s financial entitlements by Baghdad, claiming it violates the 2021 Iraqi Budget Law.

The UNAMI head expressed hope that the recent ruling does not hinder the talks between Erbil and Baghdad aimed at reaching an agreement over the federal budget, as any more delay in passing the bill will only worsen the situation “due to the well-known spending constraints.”

“It is our hope that the recent ruling of the Federal Supreme Court does not stymie ongoing negotiations on the budget. We wish instead that both Baghdad and Erbil remain incentivized to reach a lasting arrangement so as to move away from constant crisis management,” she said.

Hennis-Plasschaert added that although the new Iraqi federal government’s program has shown commitment towards resolving Erbil-Baghdad issues, and several high-level visits have been conducted by both sides, a “structured dialogue” is still missing and they are yet to achieve “concrete agreements.”

Sudani’s cabinet

The UNAMI chief lauded the efforts of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s cabinet to tackle the pressing challenges facing Iraq during its first three months in office, expressing hope that the new government structurally addresses these problems in hope of finally lifting the country out of its “recurring cycles of instability and fragility.”

The special representative also addressed the steps taken by Baghdad to retrieve the country’s stolen funds and investigate corruption allegations, stressing the need to ensure accountability for all.

An investigation by the Iraqi finance ministry in October concluded that $2.5 billion in tax funds were stolen from the General Commission of Taxes’ account at Baghdad's Rafidain Bank between September 2021 and August 2022, during the tenure of former finance minister Ali Allawi.

Sudani has repeatedly stated that retrieving the stolen money was a top priority for his cabinet, vowing to hold the perpetrators accountable.

“If Iraq is to build a system that serves the need of society instead of serving a closed community of collusion, then ensuring accountability across the spectrum, is absolutely essential. This means giving no respite to those who extract state resources for private and/or other interests,” said Hennis-Plasschaert.

One of the case’s main suspects, Noor Zuhair Jassim, was released on bail in late November to facilitate the payment of over $1.1 billion -which he had admitted to embezzling- within two weeks. Nearly two months later, only $216 million of the stolen tax funds has been announced retrieved.