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Aram Sheikh Mohammed: Practically, there is no Erbil-Baghdad oil (Interview)
agreement 20 hours ago
9/7/15
Deputy Iraqi parliament head Aram Sheikh Mohammad, in an interview with Rudaw, sheds lights on Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s extensive reform package to shrink the size of the federal government and tackle corruption in his administration. Mohammad said the reforms eliminated three positions that were previously held by Kurds, and Kurdish representatives in Baghdad would not easily accept the decision. He also claimed the agreement between the Iraqi federal government and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is over, and impractical.
By: Mahmoud Yaseen Kurdi
Rudaw: Let me start with Iraq's National Defense legislation. What can Kurdish people get from that law, since it was designed to benefit Sunnis, and that’s why Kurds vetoed the legislation?
Aram Sheikh Mohammad: We have some concerns about the legislation. Our main concern is excluding Kurdistan from such legislation because Kurdistan has Peshmerga forces. Kurds and Sunnis both demanded restrictions on the extent of the operation for that force to be established under this legislation. The operation of this military force is to be restricted to provincial boundaries, and not beyond that. For the disputed territories, they need to coordinate with Peshmerga and military officials in those territories. In general there are concerns about the deployment of these forces and the purpose of any possible operation. These forces must merely be used to maintain security and fight terrorist groups, and not be used in political conflicts.
Kurds are also concerned with the Iraqi Supreme Court’s decision making. Since Kurds are a minority in that court, aren’t they worried that the dominate majority would vote against them?
That is true; because of that minority-majority issue many decisions related to the Kurdistan region have been suspended by the court.
Abadi announced an extensive reform proposal. Are his reforms constitutional?
Abadi’s proposal was first accepted by Iraq’s Cabinet and later we in parliament voted on the proposal and accepted it based on terms and conditions. If implementing any clause of the reform package breaches the law it won’t be executed. For instance, the Iraqi prime minister is not allowed to revoke the provincial councils or dismiss any governors. But he is allowed to do other reforms that parliament ratified.
Don’t you think that Abadi’s proposal is a political and despotic move under religious influence?
Reform in itself is a political endeavor. We haven’t noticed any religious motives behind the reform so far and there is no religious clause in the reform proposal. Iraq has become an unlivable place for its citizens. This country’s administration is ravaged by political conflicts. Those political conflicts hindered this country from having a good administration. Thus, without political reform administrative reform is impossible.
Because of this reform Kurds have lost several federal positions. Do you think the reform has specifically targeted Kurdish weight in Baghdad?
Up until now some positions from the upper and lower levels were taken away from Kurds. We tried to get Kurdish political parties to monitor the process and see how the ministries integration goes. This reform has also affected both Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites. As Kurds we take every measure to make sure about the balance of power in Baghdad.
Has the elimination of Dr. Roj Shaways’ post weakened the Kurdish presence in Baghdad? Has the presidency issue in the Kurdistan region distracted Kurdish political parties from Abadi’s attempts towards political and administrative reform in his Cabinet?
The elimination of any Kurdish post in Baghdad has a negative impact, we ought to have more. Let’s not forget that we voted for Abadi’s reform package too. Dr. Roj and I several times warned the Kurdish leadership concerning our attitude towards the Abadi reforms, and the question of a balance of power in Baghdad. Due to the presidency question and a series of meetings between the parties, we did not receive any answer from them.
Recently, Dr. Roj and you are representing the executive and legislative authority, and the Iraqi president as a protector of the constitution, and you’re all Kurds. Could you provide the people of Kurdistan reliable information regarding the Baghdad-Erbil oil agreement? What happened to it?
Practically, there is no such agreement.
Why doesn’t Baghdad send the budget and salaries of civil servants of the Kurdistan region?
Neither the agreement, nor the law has been implemented.
Within Abadi’s reforms, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (Yekgrtu) have lost posts. It was only the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Change Movement (Gorran) who did not lose any posts. Are you expecting any problems to emerge in the future between all the parties?
As I said, it needs political decisions, and we have discussed that among each other, but that question needs higher political decisions, as we first participated in the Abadi government Cabinet.
You met with Abadi several times. What was his point of view about the lack of trust between Baghdad and Erbil?
The problem is all about the sale of oil, and how to sell it. That is the source of the problem.
You conduct interviews and meetings with foreign diplomats on a daily basis. What is their opinion about the recent situation of the Kurdistan region? Because you are from the Change Movement (Gorran), and part of the problem is related to your party too.
Our presence in Baghdad requires us to call for the rights and demands of the people of Kurdistan.
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agreement 20 hours ago
9/7/15
Deputy Iraqi parliament head Aram Sheikh Mohammad, in an interview with Rudaw, sheds lights on Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s extensive reform package to shrink the size of the federal government and tackle corruption in his administration. Mohammad said the reforms eliminated three positions that were previously held by Kurds, and Kurdish representatives in Baghdad would not easily accept the decision. He also claimed the agreement between the Iraqi federal government and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is over, and impractical.
By: Mahmoud Yaseen Kurdi
Rudaw: Let me start with Iraq's National Defense legislation. What can Kurdish people get from that law, since it was designed to benefit Sunnis, and that’s why Kurds vetoed the legislation?
Aram Sheikh Mohammad: We have some concerns about the legislation. Our main concern is excluding Kurdistan from such legislation because Kurdistan has Peshmerga forces. Kurds and Sunnis both demanded restrictions on the extent of the operation for that force to be established under this legislation. The operation of this military force is to be restricted to provincial boundaries, and not beyond that. For the disputed territories, they need to coordinate with Peshmerga and military officials in those territories. In general there are concerns about the deployment of these forces and the purpose of any possible operation. These forces must merely be used to maintain security and fight terrorist groups, and not be used in political conflicts.
Kurds are also concerned with the Iraqi Supreme Court’s decision making. Since Kurds are a minority in that court, aren’t they worried that the dominate majority would vote against them?
That is true; because of that minority-majority issue many decisions related to the Kurdistan region have been suspended by the court.
Abadi announced an extensive reform proposal. Are his reforms constitutional?
Abadi’s proposal was first accepted by Iraq’s Cabinet and later we in parliament voted on the proposal and accepted it based on terms and conditions. If implementing any clause of the reform package breaches the law it won’t be executed. For instance, the Iraqi prime minister is not allowed to revoke the provincial councils or dismiss any governors. But he is allowed to do other reforms that parliament ratified.
Don’t you think that Abadi’s proposal is a political and despotic move under religious influence?
Reform in itself is a political endeavor. We haven’t noticed any religious motives behind the reform so far and there is no religious clause in the reform proposal. Iraq has become an unlivable place for its citizens. This country’s administration is ravaged by political conflicts. Those political conflicts hindered this country from having a good administration. Thus, without political reform administrative reform is impossible.
Because of this reform Kurds have lost several federal positions. Do you think the reform has specifically targeted Kurdish weight in Baghdad?
Up until now some positions from the upper and lower levels were taken away from Kurds. We tried to get Kurdish political parties to monitor the process and see how the ministries integration goes. This reform has also affected both Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites. As Kurds we take every measure to make sure about the balance of power in Baghdad.
Has the elimination of Dr. Roj Shaways’ post weakened the Kurdish presence in Baghdad? Has the presidency issue in the Kurdistan region distracted Kurdish political parties from Abadi’s attempts towards political and administrative reform in his Cabinet?
The elimination of any Kurdish post in Baghdad has a negative impact, we ought to have more. Let’s not forget that we voted for Abadi’s reform package too. Dr. Roj and I several times warned the Kurdish leadership concerning our attitude towards the Abadi reforms, and the question of a balance of power in Baghdad. Due to the presidency question and a series of meetings between the parties, we did not receive any answer from them.
Recently, Dr. Roj and you are representing the executive and legislative authority, and the Iraqi president as a protector of the constitution, and you’re all Kurds. Could you provide the people of Kurdistan reliable information regarding the Baghdad-Erbil oil agreement? What happened to it?
Practically, there is no such agreement.
Why doesn’t Baghdad send the budget and salaries of civil servants of the Kurdistan region?
Neither the agreement, nor the law has been implemented.
Within Abadi’s reforms, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (Yekgrtu) have lost posts. It was only the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Change Movement (Gorran) who did not lose any posts. Are you expecting any problems to emerge in the future between all the parties?
As I said, it needs political decisions, and we have discussed that among each other, but that question needs higher political decisions, as we first participated in the Abadi government Cabinet.
You met with Abadi several times. What was his point of view about the lack of trust between Baghdad and Erbil?
The problem is all about the sale of oil, and how to sell it. That is the source of the problem.
You conduct interviews and meetings with foreign diplomats on a daily basis. What is their opinion about the recent situation of the Kurdistan region? Because you are from the Change Movement (Gorran), and part of the problem is related to your party too.
Our presence in Baghdad requires us to call for the rights and demands of the people of Kurdistan.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
