Barzani asked Biden for help to “save the region from collapse,” and Baghdad eased the pressure, 14 SEPT

Barzani asked Biden for help to “save the region from collapse,” and Baghdad eased the pressure, 14 SEPT

 Prime Minister of Kurdistan Masrour Barzani sent a telegram to US President Joe Biden complaining about the pressure exerted by the Iraqi government and requesting his urgent intervention to prevent “final collapse” of the region.

In a report published on Tuesday (September 12), The Monitor Network stated that Barzani had written to President Biden about the current situation in their country. Barzani expressed his concerns about the ongoing crisis, which he fears will be difficult to overcome due to the economic and political turmoil Lebanon is facing.

During a statement, he expressed his concerns saying, “I am genuinely worried that the dishonorable campaign being waged against us by the Baghdad government will lead to the ultimate destruction of the Iraqi federal model, which the United States has supported since 2003 and has been keen to continue until now. This is the first time since I became the Prime Minister that I have felt this way.”

He cautioned that the Iraqi Kurdistan region could face a complete and utter collapse if President Biden doesn’t personally take action to influence the Iraqi government. He also added that the current crisis could be defused if the new administration uses its sway in Baghdad.

The Monitor Network reported that the message arrived at the White House on the third of this month.

Observers have observed a shift in Baghdad’s stance since the time mentioned. It has decided to pay a part of the region’s dues, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party has been invited to return to Kirkuk. This invitation has been renewed even after the outbreak of protests in the city.

Earlier this month, the government suggested a Coordination Framework plan that involved offering the regional government a loan of 500 billion dinars. The plan was based on the understanding that the regional government would be able to pay it back using its oil revenues. However, the regional government declined the proposal.

According to Peshwa Hawramani, a spokesperson for the regional government, the Kurdistan Region is owed a total of 1.375 trillion dinars per month, as per the Federal Budget Law for 2023. Out of this amount, 906 billion dinars are meant to pay the salaries of employees working in the region. However, the Federal Ministry of Finance has only disbursed a sum of 2.598 trillion dinars to the region since January 1st, including 400 billion dinars for the months of October and November 2022. This is far less than the total amount of 11 trillion dinars allocated to the region until August 2023, as per the budget law’s schedules.

The oil revenues of the region are under the supervision of Baghdad, and are included in Iraq’s export quota with OPEC. Halting the region’s exports does not damage the Iraqi budget because Iraqi oil production has remained within its quota limits, and the Iraqi Ministry of Oil receives 85 thousand barrels of oil from the region daily for local use since June 25.

Despite the regional government’s willingness to deliver the quantity of oil requested by the ministry based on the production capacity of local refineries, the federal government failed to fulfill its commitment to cover the production costs of oil, and did not provide any payment to cover the expenses related to extracting, producing, and transporting the oil.

In the end, the government in Baghdad, under American pressure, decided to pay 500 billion dinars to the Kurdistan region as their dues, not as a loan.

Kurdish officials are in talks with American officials to address the issue of whether the Iraqi government is federal or centralized. The officials claim that Baghdad is attempting to exert control over everything related to the region, despite it not being under federal jurisdiction.

The government of Muhammad Shia al-Sudani attempted to appease the Kurdistan Democratic Party by allowing them to return to Kirkuk. This was done in order to prevent complaints about Baghdad’s mistreatment of the region and to establish a basis for sharing influence in the city. However, it is important to note that the coordination framework still considers the region subject to the central administration in Baghdad. The region is demanding undeserved funds.

Jassem Muhammad Jaafar, a member of the State of Law coalition, stated that Masrour Barzani’s recent statements regarding the relationship between the Kurdish region and the central government indicate that the regional government is afraid of a possible uprising by the Kurdish people. The fear is said to stem from the region’s “illegitimate and illegal demands” for funds from Baghdad.

“Masrour Barzani should have fulfilled the promises he made regarding the budget and returned the amounts of oil sold during smuggling to Turkey, instead of making provocative statements. He should also acknowledge the mistake the government made when they signed a contract with Turkey without consulting the federal government.”

The leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, criticized the Iraqi Parliament for approving the state budget, calling it unconstitutional and illegal and further deepening the dispute with the region.

During a recent development, it was stated that the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government have reached a positive agreement to resolve issues that have been causing instability in the country. The objective of this agreement is to consolidate foundations of stability and serve the people. However, some political parties have acted irresponsibly by trying to undermine the Kurdistan region’s entity, which is an unfortunate situation.