After discussing a report from the Ministry of Finance, the Kurdistan Region parliament on Wednesday approved 18 recommendations that it has submitted to the government (KRG) with respect to Baghdad’s draft 2018 budget law that proposes cutting the Region’s share by a quarter – allocating 12.67 percent to the KRG, down from 17 percent.
Calling the draft “unconstitutional and illegal,” the parliament urged the KRG to defend the 17 percent share that it was allocated in budgets from 2005 to 2013. The amount would be 11 trillion Iraqi Dinars (just under $9.5 billion) “as fixed in Iraq’s 2017 budget bill,” the parliament stated.
The parliament noted that the 2018 draft does not mention funds for implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution – the clause that addresses resolving the disputed areas, which Iraq took control of last month. “This budget has been dedicated annually,” but was left out this year, the parliament stated, stressing that this must be rectified.
It also called for a specific budget for the Peshmerga and a share of the functional budget to cover running of the Kurdistan Region like the electoral commission and border ports.
The parliament also called on Iraqi President Fuad Masum, a Kurd, to “use his power in enforcing the constitution… in order to protect the rights of the Kurdistan Region’s nation” and urged unity among the Kurdistani factions in the Iraqi parliament in the defence of the Kurdistan Region.
The parliament described the Iraqi government’s attitude towards the Kurdistan Region as one of making the population hungry and urged dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad.
If Baghdad does not increase the KRG’s share to 17 percent and allocate a portion of the functional budget, the parliament called for 12.67 percent of the total expenses of Iraq – an amount it sets at 13 trillion dinar ($11.15 billion).
The parliament stated that it was committed to exporting 250,000 barrels of oil daily – currently the KRG’s main source of revenue and a major point of contention with the central government which wants federal control over oil revenues. Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said last week that if Baghdad pays the 17 percent his government would be ready to hand over the “oil dossier.”
Gorran and Komal attended the parliamentary session on Wednesday. They had boycotted earlier sittings, returning when Masoud Barzani resigned from the presidency and the parliament began discussions on the presidential powers. Gorran wants to see the parliament strengthened and the presidency reduced to a ceremonial role.
Parliamentary and ministerial representatives met on Tuesday and announced that an expert team was ready to go to Baghdad to discuss the budget.
