Latest news with #MasoudBarzani
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Business
- Shafaq News
Seeking unified response: KDP invites parties to discuss salary crisis
Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has invited all Kurdish parties to a joint meeting on May 31 to address the federal government's handling of public sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region. A source told Shafaq News that the meeting will be held at 11 a.m. in Erbil, with the participation of Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, with a focus on forming a unified Kurdish position in response to the federal decision. Tensions over public finances have persisted for years, with salary transfers frequently used as leverage in disputes. The federal budget law conditions funding on the Region's handover of oil revenues—a process stalled since 2023 when exports via Turkiye's Ceyhan port were suspended. Since then, Baghdad has treated monthly salary disbursements as loans.
Shafaq News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Leader Barzani calls for order, partnership in Iraq
Shafaq News/ On Monday, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, called for strict adherence to Iraq's constitution and renewed his support for the principles of partnership, consensus, and balance as cornerstones of the country's political process. His remarks came during a meeting at the Salahuddin resort in Erbil with tribal and community leaders from al-Anbar and the Baghdad Belt. The visiting delegation raised proposals focused on governance, equitable representation, and local development, while also commending the Kurdistan Region's role in hosting displaced families during the ISIS conflict. Barzani welcomed the dialogue, describing post-2003 political mismanagement and constitutional violations as key sources of Iraq's instability. He stressed that any durable solution must begin with the restoration of constitutional order and inclusive governance involving all components of Iraqi society.
Shafaq News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Leader Barzani marks 49th anniversary of Gulan Revolution: A legacy of Kurdish resilience
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani marked the 49th anniversary of the Gulan Revolution, praising the resilience and sacrifices of the Kurdish people and Peshmerga fighters in pursuit of freedom and dignity. In a statement, Barzani described Gulan as 'one of the most significant chapters in Kurdistan's resistance,' and a natural extension of the Great September Revolution. Despite the unfavorable conditions and the forced displacement of thousands, he noted, the Gulan uprising was launched through a calculated and determined organizational and military strategy. Barzani paid tribute to the fallen fighters and honored the courage of those who took up arms or endured hardship rather than surrender. 'This uprising proved to the world that the will to fight for freedom in Kurdistan is unbreakable and ever-burning.' The Gulan Revolution began in 1976 after the collapse of the 1975 Algiers Agreement, when the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) reorganized its resistance against the Baathist regime. Drawing on shifting dynamics in the Middle East, the movement reignited hope among Kurds for justice and self-rule.
Rudaw Net
6 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Kurdistan people's livelihood not a tool for political leverage: KDP leader
Also in Kurdistan $73 million in development projects approved for Halabja province Rwanga plants 20,000 olive saplings in Erbil President Barzani says Erbil wants stronger ties with Japan US senators meet with Iraqi, Kurdistan leaders A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Preeminent Kurdish leader and head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, on Sunday indicated that political disagreements between Erbil and Baghdad must not come at the expense of people's livelihoods, reiterating his firm rejection of using public employee salaries as a political tool against the Kurdistan Region. Speaking during a meeting with tribal leaders and dignitaries from federal Iraq at the KDP's headquarters in Pirmam, northeast of Erbil, he stated, 'The livelihood of citizens cannot be politicized, nor can daily bread be used as a weapon against the people of Kurdistan,' according to a statement from his office. The KDP's topmost senior official stressed that effective governance in Iraq depends on implementing the constitution and upholding the principles of balance, consensus, and partnership. Relations between Erbil and Baghdad have been strained for over a decade, beginning in late 2013 when disputes over budget allocations led the federal government to cut the Kurdistan Region's share of the federal budget in February 2014. In response, Erbil began independently exporting crude oil via Turkey's Ceyhan port to generate revenue. The unpaid salaries crisis facing Kurdistan Region civil servants worsened in 2023 after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad, finding that Ankara had breached a 1973 pipeline agreement by permitting Erbil's independent oil exports. This ruling led to a suspension of Kurdish oil exports, deepening the Region's budget shortfalls and delaying salary payments. In his Sunday meeting, the preeminent Kurdish leader emphasized that the Kurdish people's grievances are with successive governments in Baghdad, not with the peoples and communities of Iraq. 'The long-standing issues between the people of Kurdistan and the federal government do not equate to conflict with the people of Iraq,' he said. 'The failed policies of those governments cannot damage the fabric of intercommunal relations. We want all of Iraq to prosper, to be rebuilt, and for the dignity of all citizens to be protected.' This is not the first time the preeminent Kurdish leader has voiced strong criticism of Baghdad's approach toward the Kurdistan Region in recent weeks. Speaking at a KDP gathering in Erbil earlier this month, he called the delayed payment of salaries to KRG civil servants 'unacceptable' and urged the federal government to treat the Region in accordance with Iraq's federal constitution. 'The way that they [Baghdad] have treated civil servants in previous months is completely unacceptable,' he said, adding, 'I see this as an insult to the martyrs, to the struggles of the Kurdish people, and to this nation's history.' The KDP leader further criticized Baghdad for dealing with the Kurdistan Region in a centralized and non-federal manner. He also criticized what he described as Baghdad's centralized approach, saying, 'If federalism no longer exists, they should tell us. Because the current treatment of the Kurdistan Region does not reflect a federal relationship.' The preeminent Kurdish leader lamented, 'It seems as if Kurds are foreigners in this country.'
Shafaq News
7 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Leader Barzani to tribal chiefs: Political rifts must not divide communities
Shafaq News/ Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani met, on Sunday, with tribal leaders from central and southern Iraq, underscoring that political disputes should not divide Iraq's communities. According to Barzani's media office, the meeting at Salahuddin resort gathered tribal chiefs, emirs, and prominent figures from across the country. Barzani recalled the Kurds' past suffering under former regimes and stressed that tensions have been with governments—not the Iraqi people, calling for unity, dignity, and development for all provinces. Barzani also warned against 'politicizing essential services,' reiterating that Iraq's stability relies on constitutional principles, consensus, and genuine partnership. In turn, the delegation praised Barzani's leadership, Kurdistan's support for displaced Iraqis, and the Region's stability. It expressed solidarity with Kurdish demands, calling them 'fair and justified.'
