KDP concerned as political maneuvering stalls progress on oil and gas law

Shafaq News / The Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc in the Iraqi parliament expressed its concerns on Sunday regarding the possibility of passing the oil and gas law at the start of the new legislative session of the Council of Representatives. The bloc voiced apprehension about political factions circumventing the legislation.

Giyai Taymour, a deputy representing the bloc, told Shafaq News Agency, "Negotiations and dialogues between the governments of Baghdad and Erbil regarding the oil and gas law have laid down some general guidelines for this legislation, and all disputes regarding the law have been resolved." He further explained that "there have been two drafts of this law prepared for a long time, but they have not been enacted due to political differences."

Taymour emphasized, "legislating the oil and gas law requires further dialogue and negotiation between Baghdad and Erbil, especially since legislating this law was part of the political agreement and was supposed to be enacted six months after the formation of the Sudanese government. However, some parties did not show seriousness in legislating this law, and we hope that the political factions within the State Administration Coalition will abide by the agreed-upon terms and not engage in circumvention, as was the case with the budget law."

The deputy from the Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc confirmed, "there is a possibility of passing the oil and gas law at the beginning of the new legislative session of the Council of Representatives, if there is seriousness on the part of the government to finalize the draft of this law, along with a political will to legislate it, rather than obstruct it as has been the case in the past years."