Shafaq News/ The Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), consisting of key political parties in Iraq, has agreed to pass the tripartite general budget bill during the upcoming session scheduled for Thursday. This development comes after a meeting held at the residence of Hadi Al-Amiri, the head of the Al-Fateh Alliance, according to a political source.
The source, speaking anonymously, stated that the Framework discussed the outcomes of their recent talks with the Kurdistan Democratic Party. As part of the agreement, CF has decided to suggest in the budget law that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) export 400,000 barrels of oil per day through the National State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO.)
Abbas Al-Amiri, the CF Secretary-General, described the meeting as crucial and lengthy. He expressed confidence that the budget law, which "will directly impact the lives of Iraqi citizens through the implementation of essential projects and services," will receive approval in the upcoming session.
Iraq's budgetary process has been a topic of discussion and negotiation among political parties, particularly concerning the KRG's share and oil exports.
The Iraqi Cabinet approved the country's largest financial budget on March 13, amounting to 197 trillion and 828 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $152.2 billion), with a deficit of 63 trillion. The budget heavily relies on the global rise in oil prices, which account for over 95% of Iraq's financial revenue. However, objections from financial and legal experts have impeded the final approval of the budget amendments as disputes persist.
President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, expressed "deep concern" regarding changes that affected provisions related to the Region's constitutional rights in the Iraqi general budget law, firmly rejecting these alterations. Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also voiced dissatisfaction, noting that the amendments violated a prior agreement with Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani and his government. Prime Minister Barzani emphasized the importance of respecting the cooperative foundation between Erbil and Baghdad and called on all parties involved to honor the agreement.
