"We hope Mr. Abadi will fulfill the promise he has made regarding sending the salaries of the Kurdistan Region, particularly the two ministries that he and his team have audited," Talabani said of the Iraqi prime minister after attending the inauguration of some infrastructure projects in the city of Sulaimani.
"If he cooperates, as he has pledged, as a responsibility they carry, and carry it out, we will definitely be able to cover the remaining part,” he said.
Baghdad has been auditing the KRG’s civil servant payroll sector-by-sector after it pledged to pay the public sector wages of the cash-strapped Kurdistan Region. Abadi, however, has expressed concern about the KRG’s bloated payroll and corruption, and has instructed that a full audit be done before any monies are distributed.
Talabani made his comments to the media after attending ceremonies opening two road projects in Sulaimani, the Kobane overpass and the Mamostayan overpass, and the Paralympic Kurdistan building.
"We are happy to have inaugurated a number of projects at this difficult time," he said, extending his appreciation to those who did not let the economic crisis hamper their work.
The deputy PM, who is a senior member of the Patriotic Union Kurdistan (PUK), briefly addressed the party’s congress, which has been a point of contention within the divided PUK.
The timing is right for the PUK to hold its congress because “the current leadership has expired,” he said. Talabani has been an advocate for bringing more youth into the party.
