Shafaq News- Erbil/ Baghdad

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Region’s largest party, on Saturday reaffirmed support for federal Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s efforts to implement the constitution, send salaries on time, and pursue anti-corruption measures.

The KDP won 39 seats and the PUK 23 in the 100-seat parliament, leaving the two main parties locked in negotiations over power-sharing, senior posts, relations with Baghdad, oil revenues, and administrative authority.

The KDP maintained that disputes with Baghdad should continue to be resolved under Iraq’s permanent constitution, especially those linked to the federal budget, financial entitlements, and salaries of Kurdistan Region public employees. Still, it backed the formation of Al-Zaidi’s federal government and pledged continued cooperation with him, expressing hope that agreements reached with the Shiite Coordination Framework, parliament’s largest bloc, would lead to constitutional implementation and timely salary transfers to the Region, both issues Al-Zaidi vowed to address in his government program.

The party also endorsed Al-Zaidi’s early anti-corruption measures, including efforts to recover public wealth, return funds to the state treasury, and prevent waste of national resources.

Baghdad and Erbil entered 2026 with disputes centered on salary funding, oil exports, financial auditing, non-oil revenues, and customs procedures. On June 11, KRG Council of Ministers Secretary Amanj Raheem revealed that oil exports, financial auditing, and non-oil revenues were close to resolution, with an Erbil delegation expected in Baghdad the following week to finalize understandings and seek a permanent settlement to the salary crisis.

Earlier, on May 24, Omed Sabah, head of the Diwan of the Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers, disclosed that Al-Zaidi had instructed the federal Finance Ministry to release Kurdistan Region payroll funding regularly and without discrimination, although, two days later, the KRG Finance Ministry accused Baghdad of transferring about $674.6 million of the more than $735.4 million required for May salaries and pensions, forcing Erbil to borrow ahead of Eid Al-Adha.

Read more: Erbil-Baghdad disputes: A cycle of missed opportunities