ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani on Monday emphasized the need to restore balance between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad. He also confirmed that a “better level of understanding” has been reached with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) regarding the formation of the Region’s upcoming government, which he expected would be formed ahead of Iraq’s legislative elections in November.
According to a statement from the KDP leader’s office, the remarks came during a farewell meeting with outgoing German Ambassador to Iraq Christiane Hohmann.
During the meeting, the Kurdish leader stressed that resolving political disputes with the federal government requires a return to the “principles of consensus, balance, and partnership,” which he described as the “the best solution” to address the tensions.
“We want the constitution to be implemented. We have not asked for anything more than what is stipulated in the constitution, but we will not accept anything less than what the constitution has granted to the people and the Kurdistan Region,” the preeminent Kurdish leader said.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad heightened in late May after the Iraqi federal finance ministry halted budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), claiming the Region had exceeded its 12.67 percent budget share and failed to meet its oil export obligations. The halt left over 1.2 million KRG public sector workers unpaid for more than two months.
However, recent dialogue has eased the standoff. On Thursday, the KRG’s finance ministry announced it had received nearly 975 billion Iraqi dinars (around $737 million) from Baghdad to cover May salaries - an outcome of a new agreement under which the federal government will resume paying KRG civil servant salaries. In exchange, Erbil is expected to hand over oil produced in the Region along with non-oil revenues.
The KDP leader and the outgoing German ambassador also discussed the delayed formation of the new KRG cabinet.
Following parliamentary elections held in October, the KDP emerged as the largest party with 39 seats in the 100-member legislature, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23 seats. With no single party securing a majority, coalition talks have been ongoing between the Kurdish ruling parties.
The KDP leader on Monday confirmed that recent meetings between the KDP and PUK political bureaus have led to “a better level of understanding” and expressed optimism that the tenth KRG cabinet would be formed ahead of Iraq’s legislative elections, scheduled for November 11.
For her part, Hohmann praised the preeminent Kurdish figure’s leadership, reaffirming Germany and the European Union’s commitment to the Kurdistan Region’s constitutional rights.
She highlighted the presence of multiple foreign consulates in the Region as “a message that the Kurdistan Region’s entity must be protected and defended.” The German diplomat further lauded the Region’s achievements, noting its “successes in developing its economic infrastructure and achieving security and stability.”
