Kurdish blocs, Iraqi VP extend budget share talks to Saturday

Rudaw

11 p.m.


Kurdish factions to continue to meet with Iraqi President on Saturday

Muthana Amin, the head of the KIU faction in parliament, told Rudaw that the Kurdish blocs’ meetings with President Masum will continue and "we will be in touch with the Kurdistan government and relevant parties."

He added they will have another meeting on Saturday to decide whether or not attend the parliament to pass the budget bill.

 

Erbil and Baghdad coming to an agreement should resolve the budget dispute, according to Amin.


Arafat Karam, the head of the KDP bloc also told Rudaw: “It is believed that the Kurdish blocs will meet with the parliament finance committee to add the demands of Kurds into the budget bill.

“If they are not added and no promises are made to implement them, as Kurds, we will not take part in the parliament meetings and we will take other decisions.”

 

Kurds have demanded that they retain a 17-percent share of the budget for the KRG, while Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has been unwavering on his 12.67-percent figure.

 

------

 

8:38 p.m.


Iraqi President Masum hosts Kurdish MPs amid budget gridlock


BAGHDAD, Iraq — Kurdish parliamentary blocs are meeting with Iraqi President Fuad Masum in Baghdad on Friday to discuss the issue of the budget bill.


Ahmed Haji Rasheed, the head of the Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) bloc in the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw that meeting is taking place at residence of Masum, who is Kurdish. 

Deputy Parliament Speaker Aram Sheikh Mohammed, also a Kurd from the Change Movement (Gorran), is attending.


The meeting comes after the three presidencies (president, prime minister, and parliament speaker) met on Thursday, when they recommended for the parliament’s finance committee resolve the budget issue.

The three heads of the Iraqi government had failed to reach an agreement on the budget, Abdulla Aliyawai, advisor to Iraqi President Fuad Masum, told Rudaw on Thursday.

The parliament in Baghdad voted on the Iraqi budget bill for 2018 during a session boycotted on Thursday by Kurdish MPs, who say "most of their demands were not met,” as Kurdish Peshmerga salaries were excluded. 

CORRECTION: Amin's specified "Kurdistan government" in the first paragraph. The previous version just stated "government."