Committed to work towards strengthening Erbil-Baghdad relations: Iraqi PM-designate
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, the Iraqi prime minister-designate, on Thursday said that his government will seek strengthening relations between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), hours after he was tasked with forming the country’s next cabinet.
After more than a year of political bickering since the parliamentary elections in October 2021, the Iraqi parliament voted in Latif Rashid as the country’s new president, following a lengthy race with former President Barham Salih. Rashid has now tasked Sudani to form the new government.
In his first remarks as PM-designate, Sudani said in a televised speech late Thursday that the upcoming Iraqi government will be committed to work “according to the constitution” in strengthening the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, and “settling disputes and issues that have been lingering for a long time.”
Shakhawan Abdullah, second deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament told Rudaw earlier in the day that resolving the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad is one of the tasks of the upcoming Iraqi government and the Sudani's agenda.
“Tackling corruption will be a top priority of the government,” said Sudani, adding that his duties as PM-designate will began from the early hours following his tasking, as he seeks to form “a strong government that is determined to implement its goals and program through the synergy of the political forces.”
Sudani will have 30 days to name all ministers of his cabinet, or risk losing the position if he fails to do so.
The PM-designate also sent out “a message of cooperation, mutual understanding, and coordination” to Iraq’s neighboring countries, asking them to respect the country’s sovereignty and refrain from interfering its internal affairs, stating that Baghdad will not allow the use of Iraqi land “as an arena for aggression against others.”
Attacks on Iraq from neighboring countries, especially Turkey and Iran, have been widely criticized by the local and internal communities, calling on the countries to respect Iraq’s sovereignty.
At least 16 people were killed and over 50 others were injured when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil and Sulaimani provinces with ballistic missiles and suicide drones late last month, targeting bases of Kurdish opposition groups, whom they accuse of providing arms to the protesters in the country.
A tourist site in Duhok’s Zakho district was struck with artillery shelling in July, killing nine civilians, including children, and injuring 23 others. Baghdad and Erbil have attributed the attack to Turkey, but Ankara has denied the accusations on multiple occasions.
After more than a year of political bickering since the parliamentary elections in October 2021, the Iraqi parliament voted in Latif Rashid as the country’s new president, following a lengthy race with former President Barham Salih. Rashid has now tasked Sudani to form the new government.
In his first remarks as PM-designate, Sudani said in a televised speech late Thursday that the upcoming Iraqi government will be committed to work “according to the constitution” in strengthening the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, and “settling disputes and issues that have been lingering for a long time.”
Shakhawan Abdullah, second deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament told Rudaw earlier in the day that resolving the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad is one of the tasks of the upcoming Iraqi government and the Sudani's agenda.
“Tackling corruption will be a top priority of the government,” said Sudani, adding that his duties as PM-designate will began from the early hours following his tasking, as he seeks to form “a strong government that is determined to implement its goals and program through the synergy of the political forces.”
Sudani will have 30 days to name all ministers of his cabinet, or risk losing the position if he fails to do so.
The PM-designate also sent out “a message of cooperation, mutual understanding, and coordination” to Iraq’s neighboring countries, asking them to respect the country’s sovereignty and refrain from interfering its internal affairs, stating that Baghdad will not allow the use of Iraqi land “as an arena for aggression against others.”
Attacks on Iraq from neighboring countries, especially Turkey and Iran, have been widely criticized by the local and internal communities, calling on the countries to respect Iraq’s sovereignty.
At least 16 people were killed and over 50 others were injured when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil and Sulaimani provinces with ballistic missiles and suicide drones late last month, targeting bases of Kurdish opposition groups, whom they accuse of providing arms to the protesters in the country.
A tourist site in Duhok’s Zakho district was struck with artillery shelling in July, killing nine civilians, including children, and injuring 23 others. Baghdad and Erbil have attributed the attack to Turkey, but Ankara has denied the accusations on multiple occasions.