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For the first time since 2003 ... there is congruence and understanding between Baghdad and Erbil


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Kurdistan and the amendment of the Constitution and the dismissal of Abdul Mahdi

Zia Alchukrgi civilized dialogue-number: 6422 - 2019/11/28 - 15:49 Axis: political topics Research
  


    

Although my position on the Kurdish issue and the parties of power in the region is known to many, but it must be clarified as an introduction to the subject, if my article reads who is not familiar with my position on it, I summarize it in the form of points as follows
1. I believe in the right of self-determination of the Kurds, Including the right to independence in a secular democratic state. The reason for this position is that I do not see the Kurds in Iraq on the basis of their proportion of the Iraqi people, but as part of a nation with the elements of a state extends over large areas of Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria, and because the Kurdish people of this size is almost the only people deprived of the right to establish its entity As an independent state in the region.
2. Nevertheless, I would have liked to have succeeded in achieving a genuine democratic Iraq, a federalism with a proper application of federalism, from both sides, by the federal authority, by the regional authority, and Kurdistan remains part of a single federal democratic Iraq.
3. I have the holy man before the dirt and the border.
4. I strongly disagree with the Kurdish parties, because they are undemocratic in performance, and unprepared from corruption, including what is a family party, such as the Kurdistan Democrat, and does not practice the leadership positions in each of those parties, like most parties in Iraq.
5. I believe that Kurdistan, whether a federal region within a single federal Iraq, a confederation, or an independent neighboring state, must take its full rights undiminished, but at the same time it may not in any way extend to the rights of an Iraqi outside Kurdistan, It gnaws from its rights geographically or financially, including in terms of oil wealth, or in any way.
6. I find that the Kurdistan region is treated according to the following equation: Kurdish parties want the Kurds to be fully equal partners in the federal authority, but on the other hand are unique in the administration of the Kurdistan region, so that Baghdad may not interfere in the affairs of the region, as if it were another foreign state.
7. I find that most Arab politicians are Sunni and Shiite, against the national rights of the Kurds, although they showed otherwise, including some who are close to chauvinism.
8. Exaggeration of the majority of the Kurds in the national self has harmed the Kurdish cause more than it has benefited, even though they are excused on the one hand that there are justifications for the rush to the national approach through their experiences with Iraqi Arabs, Sunnis and Shiites.
9. The KRG's practices point to attempts to dissolve other religious and national identities in the crucible of Kurdish identity.
10. As Saddam's regime tried to Arabize some non-Arab areas with a majority of its population, Kurdish parties also made efforts to Kurdize areas that were not predominantly Kurdish.
11. Kurdish parties erred when they did not insist at the time of writing the constitution to include the right of self-determination, so as to show them the success of the federal experience in Iraq, or when they did not consider the demand for confederation, the fact that Kurdistan was twelve years independent of the center.
12. The referendum on independence, on the one hand, is criticized for the poor timing and poor preparation of supplies, and the fact that it was the project of a particular party and a certain Kurdish leader rather than the project of a people in terms of motives, but it was nevertheless proof of the desire of the vast majority of Iraqi Kurds for independence, What should be respected, the federal authority cooperates with the region to prepare the requirements to achieve the will of the Kurdish people, to be a friendly neighbor of Kurdistan because of the long historical relationship, and because of the feeling of many Kurds belonging to Iraq, despite their pride in their Kurdish identity. But realizing the dream of the Kurdistan state is not in the interest of the Kurdish people to be at the hands of undemocratic parties and leaders.
13. In my opinion, Massoud Barzani wanted to enter history as a national hero who fulfilled the dream of the Kurdish people, and the inclusion of the personal element in such a fateful cause harms the cause more than it serves.
14. If there were democratic politicians who believed in human rights and the right to self-determination of the peoples, the representatives of the democratically elected federal state, with the confidence of the majority of the Iraqi people, the representatives of the Kurdistan region democratically elected, and the majority of the people of Kurdistan, Its nationalities and religions, to redefine the relationship between the region and the center, openly, honestly and fairly.
15. The federal democratic experiment in Iraq could have been so successful that perhaps Iraq's Kurds would never consider independence.
16. Even if the experiment was a near-perfect success, yet the majority of the Kurdish or Kurdish people wanted independence, this will should have been respected.
17. As Iraq's democracy has bad heresies that are unparalleled in democracies, as well as the application of the region to federal heresies strange unparalleled in federal systems, such as the region has a president, and has an independent defense ministry, even in the name of (Peshmerga), and the region has a semi-independent foreign policy .
18. Kurdish parties are equally responsible for Shiite political Islam parties for the establishment of a state of components, rather than the state of citizenship, and for supporting Shiite parties in the establishment of political sectarianism, and then share in positions and privileges, financial corruption and theft or waste of public money.
19. We must separate the parties of power in the Kurdistan region from the Kurdish people.
Hence, the Kurds have concerns about the idea of amending the constitution, because there are non-Kurds, who wants to return to the central state, and because it has recently been revealed that articles 140 to 144 of the Constitution were not included in the version voted by the Iraqi people 2005.
The Kurdish parties are adhering to Adel Abdul-Mahdi, because they will not find a prime minister like him, in giving the Kurds everything they want, really or void.
Also, Kurdish politicians are uncomfortable with the Tishrin Revolution, because they fear that the success of the revolution and change will result in losing many of the privileges of the region and many of the privileges of Kurdish political parties and personalities. Here, I repeat what I wrote in a previous article, that what happened to the Kurds after 2003, which represents real rights can not be affected, including what is acquired rights that may not be reverted under international law, but can be understood on what remains of them, and what is returned Consider it, if there is confidence between the two sides, including what is rejected nibbling of the rights of Iraq outside Kurdistan and exceeded those rights and diminish them.
Therefore, I reiterate that the Kurdistan region and the Kurdish people must have full rights without limitation, but they may not extend the rights of the rest of Iraq in any way. What is important is that we hope that no solution will be achieved, now or in the near or distant future, except through democratic methods, honesty, frankness, a spirit of brotherhood, and faith in the right of peoples to self-determination.
25/11/2019

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KRG delegation holds ‘positive’ talks with Iraqi government; meetings to continue Monday

4 hours ago
 
 

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/daaa3cc4-a476-4b32-837f-e233993ff4bf


KRG delegation holds ‘positive’ talks with Iraqi government; meetings to continue Monday
The Kurdistan flag flies alongside the Iraqi one. (Photo: Archive)
 

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Following a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation’s meeting with Iraqi government officials, a member of the Kurdish team on Sunday described the round of talks as “positive.”

KRG official Khalid Shwani, who is part of the delegation leading negotiations with Baghdad, said during a press briefing that they had taken “good steps forward” in the “positive meetings” and were close to hashing out a deal.

“We hope our current understandings lead to a final agreement tomorrow,” Shwani added, referring to further talks due to be held on Monday.

The delegation arrived in Baghdad on Sunday.

Last week, Erbil and Baghdad agreed to an initial deal on oil exports and are currently discussing the details of financial arrangements, including the KRG’s share of the national annual budget for 2020.

Umed Sabah, head of the KRG Council of Ministers Diwan and part of the negotiating team, was also present at the press conference.

Sabah affirmed that there is a “preliminary mutual understanding, and these talks require continuation,” adding that they, along with the Iraqi side, were “busy writing the [2020] budget bill together.”

This came during the delegation’s meeting with Iraq's Finance Minister, Fuad Hussein.

These developments are taking place at the backdrop of ongoing turmoil in Iraq. On Sunday, the Iraqi Parliament voted to accept Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi’s resignation in an extraordinary session, amid ongoing bloody anti-government protests.

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Meeting between the delegations of the Government of the Territory with the Federal Government - Archive

Kurdistan announces the installation of «constitutional rights» in the budget next year


Monitor - Solution Iraq

The Kurdistan Regional Government ( KRG ) announced on Monday that most of the constitutional rights of the region will be included in the federal budget for 2020.

The Minister of Planning # Dara_Rashid during a press conference: The «most of the Kurdish demands in the Constitution, were fixed in the draft federal budget law for 2020», revealing that «the draft budget has been completed».

He added that «talks are still going on between the negotiating delegation and the federal government on the outstanding problems», stressing that «a positive atmosphere prevails talks».

The Kurdish media, reported, that a new round of talks between the region and Baghdad, began today, in order to find a solution to the problems outstanding between the two sides for years.

Edited by: Sireddine Youssef

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When the articles states According to the Constitution the below is what it references...

21 hours ago, yota691 said:

Hence, the Kurds have concerns about the idea of amending the constitution, because there are non-Kurds, who wants to return to the central state, and because it has recently been revealed that articles 140 to 144 of the Constitution were not included in the version voted by the Iraqi people 2005.

 

 

1 minute ago, yota691 said:

Kurdistan announces the installation of «constitutional rights» in the budget next year

  

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Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Challenges and Prospects
16 hours ago
 
 

Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Challenges and Prospects
 

The visit of Masroor Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq to Turkey, and his meetings with senior Turkish officials, led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is more than an important visit. By the way, this is his first foreign visit; this in itself carries special connotations, confirming the importance of Turkey as a state and a role at the regional level, and Turkey's importance for the Kurdistan region itself, and to Iraq in general.

Turkey is linked with Iraq through the Kurdistan region of Iraq in particular over a relatively long border (about 330 km). There is population overlap on both sides of the border that cannot be ignored. Moreover, historical relations, geopolitical factors, as well as common interests and the conditions of instability experienced by the whole region, all these factors, in addition to others, require the building of normal relations with Turkey based on the concern of each side for the security and stability of the other party, and the development of relations Economic and trade exchange for the benefit of the people on both sides.

Of particular importance to the visit is that it comes at a time when the region is witnessing a new political earthquake that intersects in many respects with the one that was about a decade ago in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Syria. What is happening in Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Algeria reaffirms that the people of these countries are fed up with procrastination and misleading slogans and have lost confidence in them; By most government officials involved.

The KRG leadership is making an outstanding effort to promote unity at the internal level through in-depth dialogues and understandings with various parties and political forces, both in government and in opposition. Besides, there is a clear understanding of people's demands.

This situation obliges the Kurdish leadership to strive to arrange the internal Kurdish house at the level of the region, in order to coordinate positions, and block the ways for forces working to exploit the Kurdish disparities to pass their own agendas that are often incompatible with basic Kurdish interests. It should be noted in this context to the efforts of President Massoud Barzani and Nechirvan Barzani remarkable. These efforts need to be complemented, followed up and sustained. In order to develop joint action.

Moving towards Baghdad, and making sure to establish relations with the various parties of the Iraqi political science is also necessary, which the Kurdish leadership is keen to keep in its calculations on an ongoing basis. This is because they know that a stable and balanced relationship with Baghdad on the basis of respect for privacy, rights, participation and adherence to the provisions of the Constitution is the necessary precondition to maintain the security and stability of Iraq in general, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq in particular.

The mature and far-sighted policy adopted by the regional leadership in dealing with neighboring countries, Arab countries and the international community, despite the sharp polarization situation in the region in general, and Iraq in particular, has yielded positive results that have maintained the stability of the region on the one hand. On the other hand, it enabled him to play an active and active role in solving the problematic issues both at the Iraqi and Kurdish levels.

The leadership of the region, by virtue of the historical relationship with most of the leaders and personalities active in the Iraqi political process with its various wings, is able to play a role of compromise between different positions, and work to bring together the views, and consensus on common points, take into account the demands of the people, especially in terms of addressing Corruption files, and the need to improve the living standards of people, and the provision of basic necessities such as education, work, housing, electricity and clean water; and most importantly, the provision of productive jobs, which will contribute to the process of advancing the Iraqi national economy, to become a productive economy, Rather than a rentier economy as it is now.

At the Kurdish level, the regional leadership can play a positive role in reaching a solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey, provided that the willingness and will of the various parties concerned. The resolution of this issue will undoubtedly be in the interest of Turkey and its Kurds, as it will be in the interest of the Kurdistan region and Iraq in general, and will be in the interest of Syria and its Kurds. But such political efforts must be based on sustained, coherent community support that helps to meet various challenges, anticipates all possibilities, and this will not be achieved without meeting people's demands, providing access to education, employment and health treatment, as well as the necessary living necessities. Linking universities and academic institutes with society, encouraging productive scientific research that helps to find solutions to life problems, and contributes to further advancement and progress. Kurdistan youth, to serve the development projects and efforts to promote the region at various levels, and in all fields, to be an attractive environment for internal and external investments, an environment that guarantees the livelihoods of decent living for citizens, and provides the necessary precursors for the future of For generations to come.

 

Note: This article expresses the author's point of view and is not endorsed by Kurdistan 24 in any way.

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  • yota691 changed the title to Barzani reiterates his position on the Kurdistan region to face events in Iraq and the region
 
 
 2019/12/03 06:39:12
 

President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, reiterated on Tuesday that the presidency will continue its efforts to unify the ranks and cohesion in the Kurdistan Region and achieve unity of position between the parties and components to face the developments and events in Iraq and the region.

Barzani said during a meeting with Salah al-Din Mohammed Bahauddin, Secretary-General of the Islamic Union of Kurdistan and a number of leaders of the Islamic Union that the presidency of the region "will devote all its potential to the success of forming an alliance of Kurdish blocs in the Iraqi Council of Representatives."

A statement issued by the Presidency that "during the meeting discussed the latest developments on the Iraqi arena and demonstrations in Baghdad and other provinces in the country, and their effects and repercussions on the Kurdistan region, and stressed the importance of cohesion and unity of the Kurdish parties in Baghdad, and the internal situation of the Kurdistan region and events and developments in the region in general." .

The Secretary General of the Islamic Union of Kurdistan "high" efforts and steps Barzani and the presidency of the Kurdistan Region in order to achieve cohesion and unity of unity and joint action between the Kurdish parties, and expressed his support for the support and support of the Kurdistan Islamic Union for these endeavors and steps, according to the statement.

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Dawa reveals the content of the Kurdistan Regional Agreement and Baghdad

News / Reports :: 4 hours ago :: 565‌ reads

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Doaڕۆژ / special
after two days of intensive talks of the delegation of the Kurdistan Region with Baghdad on the issue of the region 's share in the general budget, the delegation reached Baghdad on Monday night with an agreement on the region 's share in the next budget year.

According to information obtained by DAWF, after the completion of the meetings of the delegation of the Kurdistan region and Baghdad, the delegation of the region met directly on Monday night with the Kurdish blocs in the House of Representatives and talked about part of the content of the agreement with Baghdad.

According to the content of the agreement, which Dawa obtained from a member of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives, the parties agreed that the Kurdistan region to deliver daily 250 thousand barrels of oil to Baghdad and in return receives the region of the total estimated budget of 162 trillion dinars to 10 trillion dinars and a half share And that the remaining 200 thousand barrels of oil will remain to pay the financial dues of oil companies.

As per the agreement, the region clarifies the content of all contracts to the federal government and is in turn and through an independent company to scrutinize the expenses of oil in the region.

According to the delegation of the Kurdistan region of the Kurdish blocs, the two parties agreed to pay Baghdad the salaries of the Kurdistan region, which amounts to 510 billion dinars in the case of delivery of oil to the Kurdistan region.

The agreement was to determine the share of the Peshmerga in the framework of compensation funds for employees of the region and not the Ministry of Defense, and promised to cancel 15 paragraphs in the sovereign budget of Iraq for the benefit of the Kurdistan region and increase its share.

Dow learned that, so far has not been agreed on local and federal revenues and the Kurdish delegation is scheduled to stay for several days in Baghdad, headed by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance and a number of advisors and general managers until all the paragraphs are agreed, but according to information, the Kurdistan region Agreement on those paragraphs and articles that have not been agreed on so far, because according to the law will be returned 50% of all local and customs revenues of the provinces and 50% of the federal government.

According to a member of the Finance Committee, the region's share in the federal budget will be 12.67%.

Ahmed Haj Rashid, a member of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives told Dow, "The meeting during the past two days between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad was fruitful and the delegation of the region did a good job and was able to install good paragraphs in the draft budget law 2020, but the final decision on the figures will be Before the House of Representatives. "

"So far the two sides have agreed on the level of committees and governments, but the figures have been guessed and the difficult battle will be to complete the budget in parliament and there will be a change in some of the paragraphs of the budget law."

He also revealed that "there is a high probability that the committee preparing the draft budget law 2020 will submit its report to the Federal Council of Ministers for ratification and send the draft to parliament within a week, because according to the acceptance of the letter of resignation of the Prime Minister and the constitutional article, the government will be within a week caretaker government, so "Before the government becomes a caretaker government, the council can do that."

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The Kurdistan Regional Government, after a meeting held on Tuesday, hoped to implement what was agreed with the Federal Ministry of Finance in Baghdad.

She said in a statement received Alsumaria News, a copy, that the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, headed, today, a meeting of the delegation of talks talks with the federal government.

According to the statement, the regional government urged me to support the preparation of the later stages of the draft budget to secure the constitutional financial rights of the people of Kurdistan.
 
 

The statement pointed out the presentation of the delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government during the meeting, details of the initial agreement during his talks with the Federal Ministry of Finance in Baghdad on the draft financial budget for 2020.

She explained that the region's talks were conducted under the direct guidance and supervision of the Prime Minister, and resulted in the participation of the Kurdistan region for the first time The

meeting expressed the hope to implement what was agreed between the two sides, and urged the Kurdish blocs in the House of Representatives and other blocs to support the preparation of subsequent stages during the discussion of the draft budget, including securing rights and Constitutional financial rights of the Kurdistan Region.
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  • yota691 changed the title to Kurdistan Regional Government: We hope to implement what has been agreed with Baghdad

Regional Government: We hope to implement what has been agreed with Baghdad on the budget

Political | 03:14 - 03/12/2019

 
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BAGHDAD -
Kurdistan Regional Government President Masroor Barzani said on Tuesday that his government hopes to implement what has been agreed with the federal government on the budget.
A statement by the Presidency of the Government of the region received / Mawazine News / a copy of it, that "the region headed, a meeting of the delegation of talks with the federal government, where the delegation of the region during the meeting, the details of the initial agreement during his talks with the Federal Ministry of Finance in Baghdad on the draft budget 2020. ”
The statement added, "The talks were conducted under the direction and direct supervision of the Prime Minister, and resulted in the participation of the Kurdistan region and for the first time in the first stages of preparation of the draft law draft budget 2020."
Barzani, "expressed hope in the implementation of what was agreed between the two sides, and urged the Kurdish blocs in the House of Representatives and other blocs to support the preparation of subsequent stages during the discussion of the draft budget, including securing the rights and financial constitutional entitlements for the Kurdistan region."

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Tuesday 3 December 2019 03:52 PM
Number Of Hits: 61

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Baghdad / .. Chairman of the Kurdistan Regional Government Masroor Barzani, on Tuesday, a meeting of the delegation of talks with the federal government.

The delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government during the meeting, the details of the initial agreement during his talks with the Federal Ministry of Finance in Baghdad on the draft budget for 2020.

The talks were held under the direct guidance and supervision of the Prime Minister, and resulted in the participation of the Kurdistan Region for the first time in the first stages of preparing the draft law of the draft budget 2020.

The meeting expressed the hope to implement what was agreed between the two sides, and urged the Kurdish blocs in the House of Representatives and other blocs to support the preparation of subsequent stages during the discussion of the draft budget, including securing constitutional rights and financial benefits for the Kurdistan region.

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Release date:: 2019/12/16 16:40 • 54 read times
After the resignation of the government .. Erbil hopes to implement what has been agreed with Baghdad on the budget
The Kurdistan Regional Government, after a meeting on Tuesday, hoped to implement what was agreed with the Federal Ministry of Finance in Baghdad.
She said in a statement received (Euphrates News) a copy, that "the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, headed, today, a meeting of the delegation of talks talks with the federal government."
According to the statement has urged the regional government to support the preparation of the subsequent stages of the draft budget to secure the constitutional financial rights of the people of Kurdistan.
The statement pointed to the presentation of the delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government during the meeting, details of the initial agreement during his talks with the Federal Ministry of Finance in Baghdad on the draft financial budget for 2020.
She explained that the region's talks were conducted under the direct guidance and supervision of the Prime Minister, and resulted in the participation of the Kurdistan region for the first time In the first stages of preparation of the draft budget law 2020 budget
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Baghdad lauds KRG cooperation as oil-for-budget deal talks reach conclusion

1 hour ago
480894Image1.jpg?mode=crop&quality=70&ra
An oil worker inspects gas flares at a field in Iraq. File photo: AFP

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation in Baghdad negotiating its share of next year’s federal budget showed an unprecedented willingness to strike a deal, members of Iraqi parliament’s finance committee have told Rudaw, as the budget’s details continue to be fleshed out in delegation meetings.

Federal government representatives met in Baghdad with a Kurdish delegation made up some three dozen officials from the finance, oil, planning, accounting and government on Monday.

A six-hour meeting with the Kurdish delegation on Monday concluded with the agreement of a 2020 national budget share of 12.67 percent for the KRG. In return, 250,000 barrels of oil per day from the Kurdistan Region’s oil fields is to be handed over to Baghdad and exported from the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

The deal between the Kurds and Baghdad was accepted by the Council of Ministers, and is expected to reach the parliament floor on Sunday for final approval.

The KRG on Tuesday released a statement on the concluded agreement, expressing hope for its implementation as is.

“The delegation said that the Kurdistan Regional Government has concluded an agreement on the 2020 budget bill with Iraqi ministry of finance. This is the first time the Kurdistan Regional Government has taken part in the first phase of preparing Iraqi federal budget draft,” it read.

“The Kurdistan Regional Government hopes that the deal is implemented as it is, and we call on Kurdistani blocs and other blocs at Iraqi parliament to help ensure and protect Kurdistan Region’s financial rights in the next phase of the budget draft.”

Tuesday’s talks also sought to hammer out the budget deal’s finer details. Sherwan Mirza, a Kurdish member of Iraqi parliament’s finance committee, told Rudaw on Tuesday that Baghdad would pay the transportation fee for the 250,000 bpd the KRG hands over.

“The delegation said that the Kurdistan Regional Government has concluded an agreement on the 2020 budget bill with Iraqi ministry of finance. This is the first time the Kurdistan Regional Government has taken part in the first phase of preparing the draft Iraqi federal budget,” it read.

“The Kurdistan Regional Government hopes that the deal is implemented as it is, and we call on Kurdistani blocs and other blocs in the Iraqi parliament to help ensure and protect the Kurdistan Region’s financial rights in the next phase of the budget draft.” 

The federal government in Baghdad and regional government in Erbil have been at loggerheads for years over national budget allocation and oil revenue. The KRG has faced fierce criticism from opposition parties such as the Change Movement (Gorran), and the two main Islamic parties in the Kurdistan Region over the lack of transparency in its oil sector. 

This changed when the Region’s two ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), reached an agreement with Gorran and other smaller parties in July to form a unity government. 

Gorran officials said upon joining the government they had received strong commitments from Prime Minister Masrour Barzani that he would usher in an era of transparency. Since then, Barzani has proactively emphasized the importance of fighting government corruption.

Ahmad Haji Rashid is a Kurdish member of Iraqi parliament from the Kurdistan Islamic Group, known as Komal in Kurdish. He believes the KRG has shown a shift towards greater transparency about oil revenue.

“The Kurds have agreed to hand over their oil contracts to the federal government, the KRG has agreed for Iraq to pass on its accounts to an [international] auditing company so they understand how much it costs for a barrel of oil to be extracted from the ground,” Haji Rashid told Rudaw’s Hiwa Jamal.

Despite the near-two month delay on the bill’s introduction to parliament, Haji Rashid is optimistic the bill will pass next week without any serious challenges.

“The [KRG] negotiators expressed full readiness to provide anything in pursuit of transparency whether we request it or the federal government requests,” Ahmad Haji Rashid told Rudaw on Monday night, having been briefed in Baghdad earlier that day by the KRG delegation.

“This is heartwarming , this is the first time the [KRG] finance ministry and the KRG have expressed such a readiness to discuss the issue…and we said as long as the [Kurdish] side is transparent we will defend the Kurdish position fully but we will not defend an issue that is not transparent.”

Budget allocation for Peshmerga salaries is set to increase, and their payment will be decentralized.

“The Peshmerga share will increase to much more than 68 billion dinars and will no longer be paid as part of the Iraqi defense ministry but as part of the salaries of civil servants,” Mirza said.

Total budget figures have yet to be set in stone, but the estimate for the 2020 budget currently stands at 162 trillion dinars ($135 billion), according to Ahmad Haji Rashid of the parliament finance committee in Baghdad. “Out of this, 112 to 114 trillion is made up of revenue, and we have a 48 trillion shortfall,” Haji Rashid told Rudaw on Monday night.

Although Iraq’s main source of revenue is oil, a fraction comes from taxing the imports that pour into the country from around a dozen land border crossings with its neighbors.

The deal’s finer details at provincial level have yet to be hammered out. Among those details is the percentage of revenue that border provinces would receive from customs duties, and how much petrodollar would be allocated to provinces where oilfields are located. According to Mirza, the Kurdistan Region provinces are to receive a “good share” from the budget.

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PM Barzani Receives KRG Negotiating Team with Baghdad

 
 Basnews English 03/12/2019 - 16:45 Published in Kurdistan
PM Barzani Receives KRG Negotiating Team with Baghdad
 

ERBIL — Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday received KRG’s negotiating team with Baghdad to discuss the talks over budget and oil disputes.

According to an official statement, the negotiating team briefed PM Barzani on the details of a deal they have reached with Iraq’s Ministry of Finance and Economy to secure Erbil’s share from 2020’s budget.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said in the statement that it hopes all Kurdistani factions at the Iraqi parliament will support the achievement to be legalized once the budget bill is sent to the parliament.

During the meeting, the negotiating team hailed the achievement by reminding it is the first time ever for Kurds to have a role in the preparation of Iraq’s annual budget bill.

Edited by 6ly410
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  • yota691 changed the title to For the first time since 2003 ... there is congruence and understanding between Baghdad and Erbil

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