ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi parliament late Thursday convened to vote on the federal budget bill after the session was postponed several times due to disagreements.
The session began with the participation of 258 lawmakers from different blocs, according to Rudaw reporter on the ground.
Disagreements are on a number of articles, including those related to the shares of provinces and the Kurdistan Region.
The financial committee has held several meetings to submit a final draft of the budget but objections from certain blocs hinders their work.
The budget, which covers the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, includes a record $152 billion in spending, 12.6 percent of which is allocated for the Kurdistan Region.
The Iraqi government approved the bill in March and sent it to the legislature. The parliament was set to vote on the budget late last month, but disagreements within the finance committee, concerning amendments relating to the Kurdistan Region, prevented the legislature from carrying out the process.
Harem Kamal Agha, lawmaker from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), told Rudaw that the legislature might pass 10 articles tonight and leave the rest for another day.
Updated at 11:42 pm
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