President Barzani slams Iraqi ‘animosity’ towards Kurds in New Year message
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – In his New Year message, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani criticized what he called “animosity” from Iraqi political parties towards the people of the Kurdistan Region with respect to “oppressive” economic policies.
“Prior to the end of 2020, the behavior of Iraq’s major political parties in the parliament towards the Kurdistan Region was very oppressive,” Barzani said in his message on Thursday.
“Their policy was full of animosity against the Kurdistan Region, aimed at suspending services and starving the people of the Kurdistan Region. In the Fiscal Deficit Coverage Law, they tried everything they could under the pretense of the law and deprived civil servants of the Kurdistan Region of their salaries and financial entitlements,” he said.
Erbil has been heavily reliant on its federal budget share from Baghdad to pay its civil servants and undertake service projects since 2003. In 2014, Baghdad stopped sending the funds fully and on time after oil prices fell, war broke out with the Islamic State (ISIS), and relations between the federal and regional governments soured over Erbil’s decision to export its oil independently.
Occasional payments were sent after heated negotiations. In December 2019, Baghdad agreed to send Erbil a 12.67 percent share of the federal budget in exchange for 250,000 barrels of oil per day. Neither side fully abided by the agreement, however. Baghdad made irregular payments and Erbil failed to hand over oil.
After political turmoil, record low oil prices, and the coronavirus pandemic, Baghdad failed to pass a budget for 2020. In November, Iraqi lawmakers passed the Fiscal Deficit Coverage Bill approving loans to cover civil servant salaries in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for the last two months of the year. The bill passed with a majority vote, despite a walkout staged by Kurdish MPs, angered that Erbil is obliged to hand over an unspecified amount of oil in exchange for funds – a clause they said was not in the original bill.
“This is against the coexistence and is a lack of responsibility toward a segment of Iraqi civil servants. The Iraqi prime minister, the federal government, and all the official institutions of Iraq should not have accepted such injustice towards the civil servants of the Kurdistan Region,” said Barzani, calling on Baghdad to “compensate the lost financial entitlements of the Kurdistan Region as per previous agreements.”
He also said that he expects the international community, United Nations, and allies to help resolve the issue.
Erbil and Baghdad have reached a deal on Iraq’s 2021 Federal Budget Bill. Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, leading the Kurdish team negotiating the bill, said it serves the interests of the people of the Kurdistan Region.
In his New Year message, President Barzani also touched on Kurdish unity and its importance in protecting the status of Kurdistan Region.
“It is the duty of all political parties in the Kurdistan Region to think about preserving our rights, the constitutional and political status of the Kurdistan Region, and the federal system as well as working together to achieve this,” he said.
Kurdish political parties have shown consensus on the budget file, garnering praise from the leadership.
Barzani said the Kurdistan Region “will remain a factor for peace and stability in Iraq and the region, and on the basis of mutual interest, we will extend our cooperation with neighboring countries and the rest of the world.”
He also said that they will continue their “cooperation and coordination” with the global coalition against ISIS, adding that the international “support and mission is still required in Iraq and Kurdistan Region.”
“Prior to the end of 2020, the behavior of Iraq’s major political parties in the parliament towards the Kurdistan Region was very oppressive,” Barzani said in his message on Thursday.
“Their policy was full of animosity against the Kurdistan Region, aimed at suspending services and starving the people of the Kurdistan Region. In the Fiscal Deficit Coverage Law, they tried everything they could under the pretense of the law and deprived civil servants of the Kurdistan Region of their salaries and financial entitlements,” he said.
Erbil has been heavily reliant on its federal budget share from Baghdad to pay its civil servants and undertake service projects since 2003. In 2014, Baghdad stopped sending the funds fully and on time after oil prices fell, war broke out with the Islamic State (ISIS), and relations between the federal and regional governments soured over Erbil’s decision to export its oil independently.
Occasional payments were sent after heated negotiations. In December 2019, Baghdad agreed to send Erbil a 12.67 percent share of the federal budget in exchange for 250,000 barrels of oil per day. Neither side fully abided by the agreement, however. Baghdad made irregular payments and Erbil failed to hand over oil.
After political turmoil, record low oil prices, and the coronavirus pandemic, Baghdad failed to pass a budget for 2020. In November, Iraqi lawmakers passed the Fiscal Deficit Coverage Bill approving loans to cover civil servant salaries in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for the last two months of the year. The bill passed with a majority vote, despite a walkout staged by Kurdish MPs, angered that Erbil is obliged to hand over an unspecified amount of oil in exchange for funds – a clause they said was not in the original bill.
“This is against the coexistence and is a lack of responsibility toward a segment of Iraqi civil servants. The Iraqi prime minister, the federal government, and all the official institutions of Iraq should not have accepted such injustice towards the civil servants of the Kurdistan Region,” said Barzani, calling on Baghdad to “compensate the lost financial entitlements of the Kurdistan Region as per previous agreements.”
He also said that he expects the international community, United Nations, and allies to help resolve the issue.
Erbil and Baghdad have reached a deal on Iraq’s 2021 Federal Budget Bill. Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, leading the Kurdish team negotiating the bill, said it serves the interests of the people of the Kurdistan Region.
In his New Year message, President Barzani also touched on Kurdish unity and its importance in protecting the status of Kurdistan Region.
“It is the duty of all political parties in the Kurdistan Region to think about preserving our rights, the constitutional and political status of the Kurdistan Region, and the federal system as well as working together to achieve this,” he said.
Kurdish political parties have shown consensus on the budget file, garnering praise from the leadership.
Barzani said the Kurdistan Region “will remain a factor for peace and stability in Iraq and the region, and on the basis of mutual interest, we will extend our cooperation with neighboring countries and the rest of the world.”
He also said that they will continue their “cooperation and coordination” with the global coalition against ISIS, adding that the international “support and mission is still required in Iraq and Kurdistan Region.”