Iraq's President: Baghdad-Erbil disputes must be resolved according to constitution

Shafaq News/ Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said that the differences between the federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) must be resolved according to the constitution.

Rashid made those remarks earlier today during a meeting with Karim Aliwi al-Muhammadi, head of the Iraqi parliament's Security And Defense Committee.

"Both sides, the federal and regional governments, desire to resolve their differences according to the constitution and the law, through dialogue and understanding, especially the rulings of the Federal Court," Rashid said. 

According to an official readout by his bureau, the President stressed "the importance of holding elections in the Kurdistan region and reaching common ground over the region's share of the budget and hydrocarbons law." 

"We hope to reach satisfactory solutions and find ways to pay the salaries of the employees of the Kurdistan Region," Rashid said.

On September 25th, 2017, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) conducted an independence referendum amidst significant pressure from regional and global powers. 

However, six years after the referendum, achieving independence remains elusive for the Kurds due to internal political discord and a range of economic and security challenges. 

The primary outstanding issues between Baghdad and Erbil are oil exports, salaries of employees in Kurdistan, and, lately, the federal court's decisions regarding the Kurdish Parliamentary elections.