Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has called upon the Kurdish blocs within the Iraqi Parliament to coordinate their actions and unite their stance to secure the constitutional rights and financial entitlements of the people in the Kurdistan Region, as outlined in the Iraqi federal budget law.
The KRG's presidency said that the Kurdish government held a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, chaired by PM Masrour Barzani and attended by his deputy, Qubad Talabani.
During the meeting, Barzani highlighted the latest developments concerning the draft general federal budget law for 2023-2025 and ongoing efforts to resume oil exports from the Region under the agreement reached between the regional government and the federal government.
The cabinet emphasized that the KRG Council has appealed to the Kurdish blocs represented in the Iraqi Parliament to join forces, ensuring a coordinated approach to protect the constitutional rights and financial dues of the Kurdistan Region as articulated within the proposed Iraqi general budget law.
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.
