Kurdish parties push for unity amid financial standoff with Baghdad

Rudaw Net

2 days ago

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Top delegations from the Kurdistan Region's ruling parties met Monday in Erbil's Pirmam district to solidify a united stance on key issues - chief among them, the long-running dispute with Baghdad over public sector salaries and financial entitlements.
In a joint statement, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said the meeting was chaired by preeminent Kurdish leader and KDP head Masoud Barzani, with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and PUK leader Bafel Talabani also in attendance.
The discussions spanned political, economic, and social issues, with both parties committing to a unified strategy 'to intensify efforts' and 'ensure the provision of salaries and entitlements for the Kurdistan Region.' The statement stressed that all necessary steps should be taken within the constitutional framework, and urged collaborative efforts toward a resolution.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad deepened in late May when the Iraqi federal finance ministry suspended budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), accusing it of exceeding its 12.67 percent share of the federal budget and failing to deliver the agreed-upon oil quota to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO).
The halt has left more than 1.2 million public servants in the Kurdistan Region unpaid for over two months.
The joint statement also highlighted efforts to strengthen ties between the KDP and PUK to overcome internal challenges and safeguard the Kurdistan Region's political framework and gains.
A well-informed source told Rudaw earlier in the day that the meeting underscored the need for a unified Kurdish stance, saying, "It underscored the importance of unifying the position of all political parties in Kurdistan and Iraq to be cooperative and supportive in resolving this issue."
The high-level meeting notably followed a special session of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers held Sunday to address the worsening financial crisis.
On Saturday as well, the KDP issued a warning, saying it would give Baghdad a 'final chance' to resolve the ongoing budget dispute.
In addition to the Baghdad-Erbil standoff, Monday's talks also focused on the upcoming Iraqi legislative elections scheduled for November 11 and the delay in forming the KRG's tenth cabinet.
Rudaw learned earlier on Monday that both the KDP and PUK had prepared draft proposals on the formation of the new cabinet to be presented during the meeting.
The Region held delayed parliamentary elections in October, with the KDP winning 39 of the 100 seats, followed by the PUK with 23. As no single party secured a majority, a governing coalition will need to be formed, as has traditionally been the case.
In late June, Prime Minister Barzani said the KDP and PUK had agreed on a cabinet agenda and that other parties were welcome to join. However, nearly nine months after the vote, no final agreement on the new cabinet has been reached.