Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Visits Baghdad to Defend Constitutional Rights
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani arrived in Baghdad on Thursday accompanied by a high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani and several key ministers. The purpose of his visit, as stated by Barzani, is to defend the constitutional rights of the people in the Kurdistan Region.
Barzani's first official meeting was held with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani in the Iraqi capital. The primary focus of this meeting was the ongoing budgetary dispute between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government in Baghdad.
"Our aim is simple: defend the constitutional rights of the people in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq," Barzani stated on social media, adding that he plans to meet with various Iraqi leaders from across the political spectrum during his visit.
I have returned to Baghdad for continued dialogue with Prime Minister @mohamedshia and leaders from across the political spectrum.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) September 14, 2023
Our aim is simple: defend the constitutional rights of the people in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The schedule for the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister's visit includes at least 10 confirmed meetings with Iraqi officials, extending late into the night, according to Aziz Ahmad, the deputy chief of staff to Barzani.
Erbil has consistently called on Baghdad to fulfill its financial obligations in line with the federal budget adopted in June. Despite Erbil's claims of adhering to their agreements, the KRG alleges that the federal government has failed to pay civil servants according to their previous understandings.
KRG diplomats have accused Baghdad of releasing allowances to Erbil to cover public salaries instead of providing the agreed-upon budget allocation. The KRG has argued that the 500 billion dinars (over $384 million) allocated is insufficient to cover salary payments.
The federal budget, hailed as one of the largest in Iraq's history, has total state expenditures of 198.91 trillion Iraqi dinars ($153 billion), with a deficit exceeding 64 trillion dinars (over $48 billion).
The Kurdistan Region's share in the federal budget is 12.67 percent, amounting to more than $12 billion annually. The management of oil and gas resources remains a contentious issue between Erbil and Baghdad, with disagreements lasting for over a decade and leading to the suspension of the Region's share in previous federal budgets.
