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After Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) renewed exportation of oil as a goodwill gesture toward the central government, tensions between Baghdad and Erbil seem to have eased.
Now, there are new attempts to resolve the Peshmerga budget issue, one of the three main issues between Baghdad and the KRG.
In the Iraqi constitution, the Peshmerga is described as the “Kurdistan Region’s guardian.” The constitution also regards the Peshmerga as part of the Iraqi defense system, and therefore its budget must be provided by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense.
However, the spokesperson for the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga says that his ministry has not received its budget from Iraq’s Ministry of Defense for the past five years.
Every year, during the budget debate in Iraqi Parliament, the majority approves that the central government must provide a budget for the Peshmerga forces.
Jabbar Yawar, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Peshmerga, told Rudaw that they have not received their budget from the central government due to the “suspension of agreements.”
Yawar estimates that the total budget Baghdad has withheld from the Peshmerga is around USD$7 million.
“Since 2007, a total budget of $50 million has been allocated to Iraq’s Ministry of Defense,” he said. “The KRG’s Ministry of Peshmerga was entitled to 17 percent of the budget, which makes for a total of $7 million.”
Hamid Mutlaq, a member of the security and defense committee in Iraqi Parliament, told Rudaw, “The Peshmerga budget issue has not been discussed by the committee.”
He added, “The committee is going to meet the officials from Iraq’s Ministry of Defense and the KRG’s Ministry of Peshmerga to discuss the disputes between the two and learn about the issues in detail.”
Mutlaq insisted that the issue must be resolved through negotiations between the central government and the KRG.
Hassan Jihad, a member of the security and defense committee in Iraqi Parliament, said, “This week, the committee will meet with the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga to discuss its budget issue, along with other issues, such as the disputed territories and discussing the previous agreements between the KRG and Baghdad.”
He added that the committee will hold a similar meeting with Iraq’s Ministry of Defense.
“We are optimistic that the KRG and Baghdad will resolve the issues just as they resolved their disagreements over oil,” Jihad said.
Yawar said that his ministry has not yet been informed about such a meeting with the security and defense committee, but added that if asked they would engage in the meeting without hesitation.
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Now, there are new attempts to resolve the Peshmerga budget issue, one of the three main issues between Baghdad and the KRG.
In the Iraqi constitution, the Peshmerga is described as the “Kurdistan Region’s guardian.” The constitution also regards the Peshmerga as part of the Iraqi defense system, and therefore its budget must be provided by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense.
However, the spokesperson for the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga says that his ministry has not received its budget from Iraq’s Ministry of Defense for the past five years.
Every year, during the budget debate in Iraqi Parliament, the majority approves that the central government must provide a budget for the Peshmerga forces.
Jabbar Yawar, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Peshmerga, told Rudaw that they have not received their budget from the central government due to the “suspension of agreements.”
Yawar estimates that the total budget Baghdad has withheld from the Peshmerga is around USD$7 million.
“Since 2007, a total budget of $50 million has been allocated to Iraq’s Ministry of Defense,” he said. “The KRG’s Ministry of Peshmerga was entitled to 17 percent of the budget, which makes for a total of $7 million.”
Hamid Mutlaq, a member of the security and defense committee in Iraqi Parliament, told Rudaw, “The Peshmerga budget issue has not been discussed by the committee.”
He added, “The committee is going to meet the officials from Iraq’s Ministry of Defense and the KRG’s Ministry of Peshmerga to discuss the disputes between the two and learn about the issues in detail.”
Mutlaq insisted that the issue must be resolved through negotiations between the central government and the KRG.
Hassan Jihad, a member of the security and defense committee in Iraqi Parliament, said, “This week, the committee will meet with the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga to discuss its budget issue, along with other issues, such as the disputed territories and discussing the previous agreements between the KRG and Baghdad.”
He added that the committee will hold a similar meeting with Iraq’s Ministry of Defense.
“We are optimistic that the KRG and Baghdad will resolve the issues just as they resolved their disagreements over oil,” Jihad said.
Yawar said that his ministry has not yet been informed about such a meeting with the security and defense committee, but added that if asked they would engage in the meeting without hesitation.
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