SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — President Nechirvan Barzani has issued a fervent call to the Iraqi government, urging them to promptly address the pressing issue of unpaid salaries faced by civil servants in the Kurdistan Region. This plea comes amidst the ongoing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad over various matters.
In a statement to reporters, President Barzani emphasized that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has consistently upheld its commitments, and he expects a reciprocal commitment from the federal government. He stated, “The salary is the right of the people of the Kurdistan Region, as citizens of Iraq, and the federal government must resolve it as soon as possible. For this purpose, we are ready to engage, and soon the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and Finance Minister will be visiting Baghdad.”
President Barzani’s remarks come at a time when tensions between the Iraqi government and the KRG have reached a critical point, primarily stemming from disputes surrounding the implementation of the budget law and previous agreements.
The crux of these disputes revolves around the distribution of Kurdistan Region’s oil and non-oil revenues and its share from the federal budget. As a result, civil servants in the Kurdistan Region have gone unpaid for their July and August salaries, with the Iraqi government citing the Region’s higher revenues as justification for withholding funds beyond what was initially allocated in the federal budget.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, in a back-to-school event on Wednesday, declared his intent to visit Baghdad to address the outstanding issues with the Iraqi government. “Our patience should not be mistaken for weakness… [but rather] our commitment to finding peaceful solutions to these problems,” Prime Minister Barzani asserted.
