Civil servant salaries should be shielded from Erbil-Baghdad disputes: UN Iraq chief

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Civil servants should be shielded from political disputes between Erbil and Baghdad and an urgent solution found for the budget share issue between the two governments, the chief of the United Nations (UN) in Iraq said while briefing the Security Council on Tuesday.

“The payment of public civil servants should be shielded from political disputes; they cannot and should not be collectively victimized. A solution is urgent, and political will to find a way out will - once more - prove essential,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, chief of UN Assistance Mission Iraq (UNAMI), said during a virtual meeting of the UNSC.

“It should be clear, however, that a Kurdish region public servant is not only a Kurdish region public servant: she or he is also an Iraqi citizen,” she added.

Erbil and Baghdad are currently in renewed dispute over an oil-for-budget agreement, upon which the Kurdistan Region is dependent to pay its civil servant salaries.

The Iraqi parliament passed a bill on November 12 to approve government loans for the rest of the year, but was met with Kurdish opposition over a clause obliging the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to hand over an unspecified amount of oil in return for its share of the budget. The passage of the law, despite a walkout from Kurdish MPs, has angered Kurdish officials in both Baghdad and Erbil.

Hennis-Plasschaert said they “expect both parties to keep their side of the bargain, and demonstrate transparency - be it on revenue management or on countless other contentious issues.”

She blamed both Erbil and Baghdad for wasting “many opportunities to arrive at a clear set of principles, rules and guidelines” in the last 15 years.

With the loans, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s cabinet was able to pay federal salaries for both October and November, while KRG civil servants have not been paid for October and several other months of the year.

Erbil and Baghdad signed an agreement in summer, compelling Kadhimi’s cabinet to send 320 billion dinars ($268 million) every month, which has so far yet to be sent on time.  

Fawzi Hariri, Kurdistan Region Presidency’s chief of staff, told Rudaw that Baghdad has “promised” to solve the issue of the $268 million payment this week.