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FRANK26: "EVERYTHING IN THE BUDGET NEEDS THE NEW RATE... IT'S THAT SIMPLE.".....F26
Kurdistan Government.. 3 decisive decisions to end the salary crisis and the region’s share of the budget
1/11/2025
The Kurdistan Regional Council of Ministers held an extraordinary meeting today, Saturday, headed by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, with the attendance of Deputy Speaker of the Council Qubad Talabani, and the participation of the region’s representatives in the federal government and the Council of Representatives, to discuss the issue of the region’s financial rights and dues.
According to the statement, Barzani addressed the following: "Securing and defending the interests of the people of Kurdistan is the main issue of this meeting, and it is a historical and national responsibility that falls on all of us. We have extended an invitation to all Kurdish parties, and we hope that they will all participate, so that we can discuss the topics clearly and frankly, face to face, and in light of the facts."
Barzani stressed that "it is the duty of the representatives of the region to defend the interests, rights and financial dues of the people of Kurdistan," stressing that "the issue is not limited to financial dues only, but includes other issues such as Article 140 of the Constitution, the areas cut off from the region, the rights of the Peshmerga, compensation for the families of the victims of Anfal and Halabja and the victims of the former regime, and compensation for 4,500 destroyed villages in Kurdistan, as the Constitution clearly stipulates this compensation, as all our problems and demands cannot be limited to the issue of salaries, which unfortunately Baghdad was able to limit our problems, and occupied us with the question of whether the monthly salaries of the people of Kurdistan will be paid or not."
"This meeting is important, and if we unite and Baghdad realizes that Kurdistan is serious about adhering to and insisting on its rights, it will not be able to ignore the people of Kurdistan and marginalize their demands. Therefore, we must not fall under the influence of a wrong policy aimed at marginalizing the Kurdistan Region and violating the rights of its people,"
Barzani added. "Baghdad's current behavior with the Kurdistan Region does not amount to a federal treatment or a federal entity. It does not even treat the provinces in this way, but it treats the region in this manner. Therefore, its behavior with the Kurdistan Region is unfair and unconstitutional, inconsistent with the federal system, and unacceptable."
"We must correct this relationship, as we have a constitution to which we adhere, and we must abide by it and respect the entity of the region," he explained, adding, "Baghdad often resorts to the Federal Court, considering that the Federal Court's decision is stronger than taking some steps towards the Kurdistan Region, but we have noticed that dealing with the Federal Court involves moodiness. When it was in their interest, they always resorted to it, but they ignored its rulings when they were in the interest of the people of Kurdistan."
Barzani explained, "We now want, in 2025, for this anxiety and concern among our people to dissipate, because they do not deserve to be treated in this way," stressing that "our people deserve respect for their struggle and sacrifices, and for their salaries and entitlements to be paid like all other Iraqi citizens," demanding "equality, and we demand our constitutional rights, and we call for building a healthy and sound relationship between Baghdad and Erbil."
According to the statement, the Ministers of Finance and Economy, Acting Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Planning, Minister of Peshmerga Affairs, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Minister of Health, and Minister of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, submitted detailed reports and information supported by tables, figures and accurate documents regarding the violation of the constitutional rights of the region and the unfair treatment of the region’s citizens.
Following the deliberations, exchange of views and discussions, the meeting stressed "the necessity of combining efforts, unifying positions, and the necessary coordination between the Kurdish parties and the representatives of the region at the level of the federal council of ministers and representatives, in order to obtain full rights and entitlements for the region in Baghdad, within the framework of the federal general budget law, and the decision of the Federal Supreme Court to pay salaries in line with the rest of the regions of Iraq and on time, and to respect the constitutional rights of the region as a federal and constitutional entity."
The meeting decided the following:
First: The Kurdistan Regional Government and the region’s representatives in the federal government will work together to secure full salaries for Kurdistan Region salary recipients for the twelve months of 2025. On this basis, it was decided that a delegation of Kurdistan Region representatives will meet with the federal Prime Minister to convey the Kurdistan Region’s message on the necessity of dealing with the region as a federal and constitutional entity, and to solve the salary problem for the year 2025.
Second: The Ministry of Finance and Economy in the Kurdistan Region will participate in the process of reviewing the region’s share of the proposed schedule of salary and operating expenses, investment budget projects, the regional and governorate development budget, and the schedules related to all dues for the fiscal year 2025 and preparing them jointly between the Ministry of Finance of the region and the federal Ministry of Finance, especially with regard to the region’s share, dues, job grades and staff, according to the constitution and the decision of the Federal Supreme Court.
Third: Starting now, work on the federal budget law, so that the Kurdistan Region’s share of the budget is determined on the basis of the region’s population percentage according to the general population census conducted last year, and the fair constitutional standards in determining the region’s share of the budget as a federal entity, and then sending it while taking into account the specificity of the Kurdistan Region as a federal entity, and distributing it within the framework of the region’s share of the budget.
Barzani stressed that "it is the duty of the representatives of the region to defend the interests, rights and financial dues of the people of Kurdistan," stressing that "the issue is not limited to financial dues only, but includes other issues such as Article 140 of the Constitution, the areas cut off from the region, the rights of the Peshmerga, compensation for the families of the victims of Anfal and Halabja and the victims of the former regime, and compensation for 4,500 destroyed villages in Kurdistan, as the Constitution clearly stipulates this compensation, as all our problems and demands cannot be limited to the issue of salaries, which unfortunately Baghdad was able to limit our problems, and occupied us with the question of whether the monthly salaries of the people of Kurdistan will be paid or not."
"This meeting is important, and if we unite and Baghdad realizes that Kurdistan is serious about adhering to and insisting on its rights, it will not be able to ignore the people of Kurdistan and marginalize their demands. Therefore, we must not fall under the influence of a wrong policy aimed at marginalizing the Kurdistan Region and violating the rights of its people,"
Barzani added. "Baghdad's current behavior with the Kurdistan Region does not amount to a federal treatment or a federal entity. It does not even treat the provinces in this way, but it treats the region in this manner. Therefore, its behavior with the Kurdistan Region is unfair and unconstitutional, inconsistent with the federal system, and unacceptable."
"We must correct this relationship, as we have a constitution to which we adhere, and we must abide by it and respect the entity of the region," he explained, adding, "Baghdad often resorts to the Federal Court, considering that the Federal Court's decision is stronger than taking some steps towards the Kurdistan Region, but we have noticed that dealing with the Federal Court involves moodiness. When it was in their interest, they always resorted to it, but they ignored its rulings when they were in the interest of the people of Kurdistan."
Barzani explained, "We now want, in 2025, for this anxiety and concern among our people to dissipate, because they do not deserve to be treated in this way," stressing that "our people deserve respect for their struggle and sacrifices, and for their salaries and entitlements to be paid like all other Iraqi citizens," demanding "equality, and we demand our constitutional rights, and we call for building a healthy and sound relationship between Baghdad and Erbil."
According to the statement, the Ministers of Finance and Economy, Acting Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Planning, Minister of Peshmerga Affairs, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Minister of Health, and Minister of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, submitted detailed reports and information supported by tables, figures and accurate documents regarding the violation of the constitutional rights of the region and the unfair treatment of the region’s citizens.
Following the deliberations, exchange of views and discussions, the meeting stressed "the necessity of combining efforts, unifying positions, and the necessary coordination between the Kurdish parties and the representatives of the region at the level of the federal council of ministers and representatives, in order to obtain full rights and entitlements for the region in Baghdad, within the framework of the federal general budget law, and the decision of the Federal Supreme Court to pay salaries in line with the rest of the regions of Iraq and on time, and to respect the constitutional rights of the region as a federal and constitutional entity."
The meeting decided the following:
First: The Kurdistan Regional Government and the region’s representatives in the federal government will work together to secure full salaries for Kurdistan Region salary recipients for the twelve months of 2025. On this basis, it was decided that a delegation of Kurdistan Region representatives will meet with the federal Prime Minister to convey the Kurdistan Region’s message on the necessity of dealing with the region as a federal and constitutional entity, and to solve the salary problem for the year 2025.
Second: The Ministry of Finance and Economy in the Kurdistan Region will participate in the process of reviewing the region’s share of the proposed schedule of salary and operating expenses, investment budget projects, the regional and governorate development budget, and the schedules related to all dues for the fiscal year 2025 and preparing them jointly between the Ministry of Finance of the region and the federal Ministry of Finance, especially with regard to the region’s share, dues, job grades and staff, according to the constitution and the decision of the Federal Supreme Court.
Third: Starting now, work on the federal budget law, so that the Kurdistan Region’s share of the budget is determined on the basis of the region’s population percentage according to the general population census conducted last year, and the fair constitutional standards in determining the region’s share of the budget as a federal entity, and then sending it while taking into account the specificity of the Kurdistan Region as a federal entity, and distributing it within the framework of the region’s share of the budget.