International pressure on Baghdad to start …
01/12/2017 – 02:05
International pressure continues to push the Iraqi government to start negotiations with the Kurdistan Regional Government, which prepared the working paper for the negotiations expected, and does not hide the latter’s desire to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government under the supervision and control of the United Nations and the United States of America.
The Kurdistan Parliament held on 15 November a session to discuss the draft Iraqi budget for the year 2018 and the share of the Kurdistan region, which was reduced from 17% to 12%.
After extensive deliberation, and based on the joint report of the legal and financial committees in the Parliament of Kurdistan, the Parliament approved by a majority of votes on a package of recommendations on the draft budget law of Iraq for next year. These recommendations included two sections, the first one on constitutional and legal issues, and the second on the financial aspect.
Kurdistan Parliament called on the Iraqi government to raise the proportion of the share of the region from the general budget of (12.67%) to (17%) according to the proportion practiced since last years. In the event that the percentage of (17%) is not approved, Parliament will approve the approval of 12.67% of the total Iraqi budget as the share of the Kurdistan Region without deducting the sovereign allocations, then the KRG is committed to exporting 250,000 barrels of crude oil.
Chairman of the Finance Committee in the Parliament of Kurdistan d. Ezzat Saber told Basnews that these recommendations were sent to the Kurdistan Regional Government to make them the main point in their talks with the Iraqi government. “If the Iraqi government is convinced of any of the two proposals (above), then the problem of budget and salaries in the Kurdistan region will be addressed.”
According to the information obtained by (Basnoyz), the government of the region in addition to the recommendations of the Parliament of Kurdistan, it has prepared a set of points on the problem of salaries of staff of the Territory for trading with the Iraqi government, where prepared lists of staff of the region according to the system Biometric to put it in front of the attention of senior officials in the Iraqi government, In terms of reaching an agreement on the share of the province of the Iraqi budget, and to pay the salaries of the region’s employees.
A source familiar with the agenda of the upcoming meeting between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad, told (Basneoz), saying, is scheduled to borrow the Iraqi government $ 4 billion from international bodies, the Kurdistan Regional Government to pay the share of the region of this loan according to the proportion agreed upon , As well as the salaries and balance of Peshmerga forces.
The source added that he did not specify the date of the talks expected between the two sides, but the provincial government prepared a set of files for discussion with Baghdad.
“Before the talks begin, we must know which file will be discussed, whether it is economic, political or military. The regional government will enter the talks according to the file for each meeting. It is not possible to deal with all the files in one round of talks.”
The source said that the first joint talks will be on the most important issue according to the current situation, and in case of reaching understandings on this, the other files will be opened to discuss them.
“The Kurdistan Regional Government is ready to start negotiations and the Iraqi government is supposed to set a date for its convening,” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani told reporters after a meeting of the provincial council of ministers.
Barzani said, “Our position is clear, when Baghdad was ready to talk, we in the Kurdistan region have the desire to do so We believe that the outstanding problems between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad need to negotiate seriously, in order to come together for formulas of understanding on all the problems, that.”
Barzani said that all the loans borrowed by the provincial government from oil companies, will be submitted according to lists to the Iraqi government, and there are clarifications attached to all loans and how.
On the other hand, the Kurdistan Regional Government demanded officials in the United States of America to send their special envoy to mediate in the talks to be held between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. At the same time, Europe and the United States announced their support for the talks between Arbil and Baghdad and conduct them as soon as possible.
The press leaks that the Iraqi government is unwilling to have an intermediary in its talks with the Kurdistan Region, and this raises doubts about the seriousness of the commitment of the Iraqi government to the agreements that will be reached between the two sides.
For his part, said UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Iraq, the UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI) is ready to mediate in the talks to address the problem of the budget of the Kurdistan region and salaries of its staff.
The adviser to the President of the Republic d. Abdullah Aliawi, that the international pressure on the Iraqi government will push Baghdad to demand soon from the Kurdistan region to send a delegation for the start of negotiations between the two sides, adding, “There are many pressures on the Iraqi prime minister to start negotiations with the Kurdistan Region and address the outstanding problems between the two sides, In the words of the President’s Adviser.
He noted d. Alawi also, that Iraq will not be able to sustain the war against Kurdistan, so he is forced to agree with him, “said the provincial government for its part, willingness to negotiate, and the task now rests with the Iraqi government to open the door to negotiate.