The Iraqi parliament has no right to manipulate the budget paragraphs, MP says

Shafaq News / The leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Hoshyar Zebari, confirmed that the constitution does not allow the Iraqi parliament to manipulate the federal financial budget or change its formula.

Zebari said in a post on Facebook, "Article 62 of the constitution is very clear: First, The Cabinet submits the draft general budget bill and the final account to the council of Representatives. Second, The Council of Representatives may conduct some modifications in the paragraphs of the disbursement and the chapters of the general budget, and it may, when necessary, suggest to the Council of Ministers to increase the total amounts of expenditures.

He added, "These are the prerogatives of the council of Representatives and the Finance Committee, and they absolutely have no right to manipulate and change the budget. It is disgraceful and unconstitutional in most countries."

"The parliament must know its limits, because we are an independent and fully sovereign federal state. The government system is republican, parliamentary, and democratic, and the constitution is a guarantor of the unity of Iraq", he added.