Masrour Barzani Criticizes Baghdad Policies, Calls for Kurdish Unity in Extraordinary KRG Meeting

Peregraf

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers convened an extraordinary meeting to address the pressing issues of delayed salaries, the financial rights of the Kurdistan Region, and the federal government’s budgetary policies. Kurdish Members of Parliament (MPs) and ministers participated in the discussions, while factions from the New Generation Movement (NGM), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), and the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal) boycotted the meeting, criticizing the KRG’s financial management.

Barzani Criticizes Baghdad’s Policies

In his opening remarks, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani strongly criticized Baghdad’s policies toward the Kurdistan Region, describing them as oppressive.

“There is oppressive behavior from Baghdad against the Kurdish people. The Kurdish people must be saved from this unpleasant mental situation,” Barzani stated.

“We are demanding our constitutional rights from Baghdad. The Kurdish people do not deserve the oppression and injustice being done to them. Whenever the Federal Court has ruled in favor of the Kurdistan Region, obstacles have been created,” he added.

Barzani called for unity among Kurdish political factions, emphasizing that solidarity was essential to counter Baghdad’s actions. “Let’s be united and united,” he urged.

Budget Crisis Deepens

The meeting occurred as the Kurdistan Region faces a deepening financial crisis, with public sector employees still awaiting December salaries. According to a January 2 statement from the KRG Ministry of Finance, the region’s 2024 budget of 11.57 trillion dinars is insufficient to meet salary requirements, which exceed 12 trillion dinars.

Key financial challenges outlined by the Ministry include:

• Baghdad disbursed only 10.75 trillion dinars to the KRG in 2024, leaving an 823 billion dinar shortfall.

• For the last quarter of 2024, Baghdad allocated 1.83 trillion dinars for salaries, creating a deficit of 1.16 trillion dinars.

Opposition Criticism

Opposition MPs and figures criticized the KRG’s handling of domestic revenues and oil funds. They argued that despite Iraq’s allocation of around 11 trillion dinars for salaries, the KRG has failed to pay salaries for the full 12 months, instead covering only 11 months. Opposition leaders claimed this gap could have been bridged with domestic revenue, which has not been returned to Iraq.

Additionally, opposition parties highlighted mismanagement of the Kurdistan Region’s oil revenues, pointing out that over 350,000 barrels of oil are produced daily but that no revenue from these sales has been allocated to salaries or development projects.

High Stakes for Erbil-Baghdad Relations

The outcome of the meeting is seen as critical for the strained financial and political ties between Erbil and Baghdad. Observers note that resolving these issues is essential to ensuring consistent federal payments and addressing growing public dissatisfaction over delayed salaries.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s government faces mounting pressure to find solutions, with analysts emphasizing the need for Kurdish unity to secure a meaningful resolution from Baghdad.