Iraqi Political Leader Ammar al-Hakim: Budget Highlights Success of Current Political Landscape

Shafaq News/ The leader of the National Wisdom (Tayyar Al-Hikma Movement), Ammar al-Hakim, considers it "normal" that Iraq's 2023 fiscal budget does not meet the "ambition" of all political forces.

In an interview with the Egyptian Al-Qahera News channel, al-Hakim acknowledged the complexities surrounding the budget but viewed reaching an agreement as a testament to the success of Iraq's current political experience.

He highlighted the Iraqi State Administration Coalition as a manifestation of political understanding. Finally, he expressed hope for approving the new budget in the Iraqi parliament, which he believes has the potential to be the largest in Iraq's history.

The Iraqi Cabinet approved the country's largest financial budget on March 13, surpassing 197 trillion and 828 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately 152.2 billion dollars), with a deficit of 63 trillion. The budget heavily relies on the global rise in oil prices, which constitute over 95% of Iraq's financial revenue. However, objections from financial and legal experts have delayed 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. Emphasizing the significance of respecting the cooperation cornerstone between Erbil and Baghdad, Prime Minister Barzani called for adherence to the agreement by all parties involved.