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Rudaw Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish MP urges Iraqi president to halt Qaratapa upgrade
Also in Iraq Iraqi authorities arrest PMF members linked to attack on ministry Iraq to hit 52 degrees Celsius amid scorching summer Iraq sees drop in wheat production amid summer drought MP says Iraq can withdraw from maritime agreement with Kuwait A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament on Monday urged President Abdul Latif Rashid to intervene and cancel the planned elevation of the disputed Qaratapa subdistrict in Diyala to district status, calling the move unconstitutional and a violation of Article 140, which governs Iraq's disputed territories. 'This step is contrary to Article 140 of the constitution,' lawmaker Karwan Yarwais from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) told Rudaw. 'The administrative boundaries of disputed areas should not be altered while the phases of normalization and referendum for their reunification remain pending.' Yarwais described the move as unconstitutional in a memo sent to Rashid, calling on him to reverse the Diyala governor's July 16 order to upgrade Qaratapa. The decision would also administratively attach Jabara, Koks, and Kulajo to the new district. The Iraqi planning ministry announced in early July that Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim had approved the elevation following a vote by the Diyala Provincial Council. The change prompted strong backlash from Kurds, who see the move as an attempt to alter the demographics of the disputed province and wrest control from Kurds. However, Diyala's Provincial Council on Tuesday formally requested the planning ministry to suspend the elevation process, council member Aws al-Mahdawi, the only PUK representative, told Rudaw. He cited Qaratapa's population being below the required threshold and emphasized the area's disputed status under Article 140. Additionally, Koks subdistrict is under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and not Diyala province, which is under federal control. As such, Mahdawi stressed that its inclusion in the plan is 'illegal.' Yarwais warned that the governor's decision lacks a constitutional basis and violates Article 110, which he says reserves the power to alter administrative boundaries of high-level units to the federal government. 'The governor's decision was not based on any federal constitutional approval or law issued by parliament,' his memo to President Rashid stated. 'Therefore, we request Your Excellency to immediately intervene and issue the necessary guidance to reverse this decision.' Following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq adopted Article 140 of the constitution to reverse the Baath-era policy of Arabization in disputed Kurdish-populated areas like Qaratapa. Kurdish officials say the article's incomplete implementation has left these regions vulnerable to renewed attempts at demographic change. The article calls for normalization steps in the disputed areas, including the return of lands and properties to their original owners.
Rudaw Net
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Diyala council seeks to block Qaratapa district upgrade
Also in Iraq Iraq's ruling coalition condemns drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Iraqi parliament fails to discuss drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Diyala Provincial Council has requested the Iraqi planning ministry to suspend the controversial elevation of Qaratapa into a district, a council member said on Tuesday, with plans for the subdistrict's elevation having drawn the ire of Kurds in the disputed province. The Iraqi government in early July approved changes in Diyala province that would see the merging of the predominantly-Kurdish subdistricts of Qaratapa, Jabara, Koks, and Kulajo into a new Qaratapa district – a decision deemed by Kurds as a renewed effort to alter the demographics of the disputed province and seize territory from Kurdish control. Aws al-Mahdawi, the sole Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) member from the council, told Rudaw that Qaratapa does not meet the criteria to become a district, and that the council's head has officially requested the planning ministry to suspend the procedures. 'Those who did this were doing it for election propaganda, with some failed parliamentarians behind the move,' Mahdawi said, adding that a committee will be formed to investigate the matter. The council presented several factors, explaining that Qaratapa's population is below that required to promote a subdistrict and that the area falls within the framework of Article 140 and should not tampered with. Additionally, Koks subdistrict is under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and not Diyala province, which is under federal control. As such, Mahdawi stressed that its inclusion in the plan is 'illegal.' Sherko Mirwais, a PUK leadership official and head of the party's Khanaqin office, in early July called the changes a 'threat to all of Kurdistan and the future of Kurds in Kurdish areas outside the Kurdistan Region's administration.' Following the fall of the Baath regime in 2003, Iraq began a policy of de-Arabization under Article 140 of the constitution, aiming to reverse the demographic changes imposed by former dictator Saddam Hussein. The failure to fully implement it, however, has been cited as one of the main reasons for the continued attempts at demographic change in the disputed territories. Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi parliament fails to discuss drone attacks on Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP Iraq records 16 new cases of Crimean-Congo fever A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's parliament wrapped up a session Monday without addressing recent drone strikes on Kurdistan Region oil infrastructure, after Kurdish factions boycotted the session for unknown reasons, sources told Rudaw. The session's agenda included two main topics: the deadly fire at a shopping mall in Iraq's Kut and drone attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region's oil and energy infrastructure. The parliament said in a statement only the former topic was discussed without elaborating. Lawmakers from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) boycotted the session. Only three Kurdish parliamentarians attended it, according to Soran Omar from the Islamist Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal). Two of them left the session before it ended. 'The first item was discussed, but because Kurdish parliamentarians did not participate, I requested Muhsin al-Mandalawi, Deputy Speaker of Parliament who was chairing the session, to remove the drone attacks item from the session agenda. He removed it and it was not discussed,' Omar told Rudaw. The first agenda item was a massive fire late Wednesday at a newly opened shopping mall in Kut, the capital of Wasit province, which killed at least 77 people. Most victims died from smoke inhalation, and the incident sparked public outrage over the lack of emergency exits and lax safety standards. According to Omar, Mandalawi expressed his surprise at the absence of Kurdish lawmakers, saying, 'They themselves had requested the session, yet now they have not participated in the session.' Dara Sekaniani, a Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) lawmaker and member of the Iraqi parliament's legal committee, said he left after it became clear the drone strikes would not be discussed. Showan Kalari and Sherwan Dubardani, KDP lawmakers, later told Rudaw they were instructed by party leadership not to attend, without knowing the reason. 'We have no information, they just said not to participate and we did not participate,' they said. PUK lawmaker Srwa Mohammed also confirmed her party's absence but did not provide further details. Omar criticized the Region's ruling parties for not participating, especially since the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has directly accused Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of being behind the drone attacks - a claim denied by Baghdad. Omar said that since the interior ministry has made the accusation, the Region's ruling parties - the KDP and the PUK - should have attended the session and voiced their concerns. Since early July, nearly 20 drone attacks have hit the Kurdistan Region, mostly targeting oil fields and causing significant financial losses. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks and there have been no new attacks since Erbil and Baghdad reached a new agreement on finances and oil exports on Thursday. The map shows the approximate locations of drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region recorded by Rudaw English between July 1-17. Iraq's parliament on Friday launched an investigation into recent drone attacks. 'Next week we, as the Security and Defense Committee, will have a visit to learn the details of the incident and who is behind this incident,' Mohammed Rasul, a member of parliament's Security and Defense Committee, told Rudaw on Friday. The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources have all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. The international community has also condemned the attacks. KRG Deputy Chief of Staff Aziz Ahmad said last week that drone strikes by 'criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll' have led to the loss of nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production per day. Ahmad also said that the drones were launched from Kirkuk province.
Rudaw Net
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP
Also in Iraq Iraq records 16 new cases of Crimean-Congo fever Iraqi parliament to convene on Kurdistan Region drone attacks Iraq arrests 40 over alleged baathist plots, sectarian incitement PM Barzani says Baghdad added new condition to finance agreement A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament on Monday said the Iraqi government lacks control over armed groups behind recent drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region, accusing 'external agendas' of fueling tensions between Erbil and Baghdad. Dozens of drone strikes have targeted the Kurdistan Region since the beginning of July, mainly hitting oil fields and causing significant financial losses. Kurdish officials have blamed the attacks on 'criminal militias' affiliated with the Iraqi government. 'We see that very often Iraq and the Kurdistan Region become victims of those militias that are outside authority. I can say that the Iraqi government cannot control those armed groups,' Srwa Mohammed, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has blamed Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) for the drone attacks, a charge Baghdad has denied. 'Despite having general authority, and the prime minister being the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, there are still militias that operate outside the law and do not follow official authority,' Mohammed added. The Iraqi parliament is convening on Monday in an extraordinary session to discuss the drone strikes, which have targeted key oil infrastructure. Although a parliamentary committee was formed to investigate the attacks, Mohammed said 'no report has reached parliament so far' and that the legislature's session is only for discussion with no decisions expected. She described the drone strikes as a form of 'pressure on the Kurdistan Region,' adding that 'whenever problems and disputes arise between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, undoubtedly pressure is imposed on the Kurdistan Region.' Mohammed attributed the tensions to 'political and external agendas' that she said are preventing a resolution between the two sides. In March, the US rescinded waivers allowing Iraq to import energy from Iran. The Kurdistan Region subsequently signed multibillion-dollar energy deals with American companies in May to develop its oil and gas fields - contracts that Baghdad rejected as unconstitutional and challenged in court. However, Iraq's Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of the KRG, upholding the contracts. On Tuesday, Iraq's state-run North Oil Company signed an initial agreement with US-based HKN Energy for the development of the Hamrin oil field in Basra province, just hours after a drone strike targeted one of HKN's oil fields in the Kurdistan Region. On Monday, Iraq's Council of Ministers approved a new deal to resume salary payments and restart Kurdish oil exports. Under the agreement, the KRG must export all of its oil through Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), keeping 50,000 barrels per day for local consumption and delivering 230,000 barrels daily to Baghdad. In exchange, Baghdad is expected to make budget transfers and supply refined fuel if needed. The KRG is also required to submit 120 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $92 million) in non-oil revenues each month. Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said Wednesday that the drone attacks by 'criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll' have caused the loss of nearly 200,000 barrels in production.
Rudaw Net
20-07-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish ruling parties to meet soon for government formation talks
Also in Kurdistan Drones targeting Kurdistan Region were launched from Kirkuk: KRG official Unfinished Stories: PKK disarmament PM Barzani, US chargé d'affaires discuss finances, oil exports Drone attack kills one in Penjwen A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are set to meet this week to expedite talks on forming the new regional government ahead of the federal parliamentary vote. 'The PUK-KDP meeting will be about forming the new cabinet. After resolving the salary issue and problems between Baghdad and Erbil, the main topic is about forming the new cabinet,' a senior PUK official told Rudaw. The source said that 'all efforts' have been dedicated to forming the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) before the Iraqi federal parliamentary elections - scheduled for November 11. It is set to follow Monday's meeting of top delegations of the KDP and PUK, headed by leaders Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, respectively. In addition to the Erbil-Baghdad standoff, the meeting discussed the delay in forming the KRG's tenth cabinet, and both parties presented draft proposals during the meeting. The Kurdistan 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 Masrour Barzani said the KDP and PUK had agreed on a cabinet agenda and that other parties were welcome to join. However, nine months after the vote, no final agreement on the new cabinet has been reached.
