Omid Sabah: The budget law was written to avenge the region's constitutional rights

[yota691]

POSTED ON 2023-09-05 BY SOTALIRAQ

Omid Sabah: The budget law was written to avenge the region's constitutional rights

The head of the Diwan of the Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers, Omid Sabah, confirmed that the budget law was written to take revenge on the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region.

Sabah said during a press conference on Monday, "There are two main reasons behind this situation, the first is the budget law approved by the Iraqi parliament, which constituted the biggest blow to the constitutional achievements of the Kurdistan Region."

The second reason is “the way the Iraqi Ministry of Finance understands the budget law and applies it according to its whim, which is worse than the budget law itself.”

In addition, Sabah indicated that the region's share in the federal budget law is about 16 trillion dinars, but the Federal Ministry of Finance says it is only 8 trillion dinars.

Stressing that these two figures "do not correspond to the financial dues of the Kurdistan Region."

Regarding the salaries of the region's employees, Sabah pointed out that in all the talks, "guaranteeing employees' salaries was a top priority, but the federal government has not yet pledged to pay them, knowing that it is a constitutional right."

He said: The Iraqi government treats the Kurdistan Region as a province, even more harshly than it deals with the provinces, and considers the region less deserving, which we categorically reject.

Regarding Baghdad's decision to send an amount of 500 billion to the region, the Chief of the Cabinet Office considered that "it was a unilateral decision and did not consult with the regional government, neither about the amount nor how to send it."

He said: We have never agreed on this amount in previous meetings, except for other necessary expenses.

Regarding the next step for the region, Sabah said: The Council of Ministers will meet under the chairmanship of Masrour Barzani and the presence of all members of the Council, to discuss the next step and how to deal with this situation.

He added: The Kurdistan government will not close the door to negotiations with the Iraqi government, but the official position will be determined in the upcoming meetings.

[yota691]

POSTED ON 2023-09-05 BY SOTALIRAQ

The region criticizes salary allocations: we need 900 billion dinars per month

The head of the Cabinet of the Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers, Omid Sabah, confirmed that the budget law was written to avenge the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan region.

This came during a joint press conference yesterday, Monday, with some members of the Kurdistan Regional Government delegation, which has been holding talks with the Iraqi government delegation for several months.

Sabah said during a press conference on Monday, “There are two main reasons behind this situation, the first is the budget law approved by the Iraqi parliament, which constituted the biggest blow to the constitutional achievements of the Kurdistan region.”

The second reason is “the way the Iraqi Ministry of Finance understands the budget law and applies it according to its whim, which is worse than the budget law itself.” In addition, Sabah indicated that the region's share in the federal budget law is about 16 trillion dinars, but the Federal Ministry of Finance says it is only 8 trillion dinars.

Stressing that these two figures "do not correspond with the financial dues of the Kurdistan region."

Regarding the salaries of the region's employees, Sabah pointed out that in all the talks, "guaranteeing employees' salaries was at the forefront of priorities, but the federal government has not yet pledged to pay them, knowing that it is a constitutional right." With the provinces, the region is considered less worthy, which we categorically reject.

Regarding Baghdad's decision to send an amount of 500 billion to the region, the Chief of the Cabinet Office considered that "it was a unilateral decision and did not consult with the regional government, neither about the amount nor how to send it."

"We have never agreed on this amount in previous meetings, except for other necessary expenses," he said.

Regarding the next step for the region, Sabah said: The Council of Ministers will meet under the chairmanship of Masrour Barzani and the presence of all members of the Council, to discuss the next step and how to deal with this situation.

He added: The Kurdistan government will not close the door to negotiations with the Iraqi government, but the official position will be determined in the upcoming meetings.

For his part, the spokesman for the Kurdistan government, Bishwa Hawrami, said, "The Iraqi government is pursuing a policy of starvation against the people of Kurdistan."

The Kurdistan government's negotiating team with the Iraqi government presented its position on the meetings in Baghdad, as well as the issue of the salaries of Kurdistan employees and Kurdistan's financial dues from the Iraqi general budget.

"The Kurdistan government has constantly tried to ensure that the federal government complies with the agreements it reached with the Kurdistan government since its first negotiations between the two sides," Hawrami said, stressing that "the Iraqi government is the one that did not abide by the agreements."

Hawrami pointed out that “after all these negotiations and meetings, the federal government decided to send 500 billion dinars for the salaries of Kurdistan employees, while Kurdistan needs 940 billion dinars per month to pay salaries, and what the federal government sends is not enough to distribute salaries.”

Hawrami added, "The President of the Kurdistan Government spoke with the Minister of Finance about the funds sent to Kurdistan, and the priority will be for salaries, which will be decided by the Council of Ministers at its meeting on Wednesday." The courts, targeting the Kurdish youth in Kirkuk, is the same mentality that was used in the past against the people of Kurdistan.”

In addition, the Minister of Finance and Economy of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Awat Sheikh Janab, said that the amount of 500 billion dinars sent by Baghdad does not meet the needs of the region.

Stressing that the government cannot distribute the salaries of all its employees and workers with 320 billion dinars from non-oil revenues. Sheikh Janab explained that the previous talks between the two governments (the Kurdistan Region and the Federal) did not yield any positive results.

He said: Unfortunately, we have returned to the loan method, and this loan sent by Baghdad (500 billion dinars) cannot meet the needs of the region. Sheikh Janab says: We no longer have oil revenues, and non-oil revenues are calculated by the federal government among the region's expenses. 320 billion dinars per month from non-oil revenues for all the needs of the region, and this amount is added to the 500 billion dinars that Baghdad sends.

At the same time, expressing the regional government's dissatisfaction with the amount of money sent by Baghdad to Erbil.

He said: The regional government had previously filed a complaint with the Federal Court regarding actual spending, but it did not provide a legal and constitutional answer. Sheikh Janab explained that the wisdom of Kurdistan has spent about 5 trillion dinars during the past six months, or more than 900 billion dinars per month.

He pointed out that the federal government came to deduct the expenses of the 15 Iraqi provinces, then they allocated the region's share of 12.67%, and according to this percentage, the region will not receive more than 598 billion dinars per month.

[yota691]

Pictures.. Thousands of people take to the streets in massive demonstrations in Dohuk, demanding Baghdad to secure the rights of Kurdistan

2023-09-05 04:10

 

Shafaq News/ Thousands of people demonstrated in Dohuk Governorate, on Tuesday morning, against the federal government's policy of not granting the rights of the people of the Kurdistan Region, represented by the monthly salaries of employees and workers in the public sector, and the Kurds' share in the country's general financial budget.

 

Shafaq News agency reporter said that thousands of citizens gathered in Newroz Park in the center of Dohuk Governorate, demanding the federal government in Baghdad to secure the rights of Kurdistan Region.

 

Unions and civil society organizations in Dohuk province called on citizens in the province to hold a peaceful gathering to demand the rights of employees and retirees and the region's budget, which Baghdad did not send to the region more than two months ago.

 

Anas Sharif said in a speech on behalf of trade unions and civil society organizations, delivered during the demonstrations, that "Baghdad is cutting off the basic sources of livelihood for the people of the Kurdistan Region," describing the federal government as "does not believe in the principles of democracy and true partnership, and that it deals unscrupulously with all classes of the people of Kurdistan from Children, the elderly, the disabled and employees by depriving them of their constitutional rights and entitlements such as salaries.

 

Yesterday, Monday, the Kurdistan Regional Government described the federal government in Baghdad as practicing a "starvation" policy against the region, stressing that the amount of half a trillion dinars sent to Erbil is not sufficient.

[Dinarrock]

There it is yep these camel jockies will never get anything done! Good luck!

[horsesoldier]

Iraq, all of it, an absurdity 

[Laid Back]

If the Kurds are not happy with the budget share, it will take longer for the enactment of the HCL.

 

Just my opinion.!

[BETTYBOOP]

They come so far and then get in the road of themselves. Bunch of fools

! It will all go to pieces just shortly

[Dinarrock]

1 hour ago, Laid Back said:

If the Kurds are not happy with the budget share, it will take longer for the enactment of the HCL.

 

Just my opinion.!

Ya Think?? What’s another decade or two between friends!