ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region’s top officials and political leaders on Thursday used their Eid al-Adha messages to highlight ongoing financial tensions between Erbil and Baghdad. The federal government’s recent decision to halt salary payments to the Region’s civil servants has left more than a million people struggling to afford the costs of the holiday.
“The issue of Kurdistan Region's civil servants must be resolved through dialogue and understanding, based on the Constitution, laws, and agreements that serve the general interests of the country. We reassure the people of Kurdistan that we will continue to defend their rights and will pursue all constitutional avenues,” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said in a statement on the eve of the four-day Islamic holiday.
Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami claimed last week that the ministry is “unable” to continue financing the Kurdistan Region, alleging that Erbil has exceeded its 12.67 percent budget share set by the 2025 Federal Budget Law.
There have been multiple exchanges between the regional and federal authorities regarding the dispute, with both sides accusing each other of failing to meet their obligations outlined in the federal budget law.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in his Eid message that it is “a matter of deep concern and worry that we celebrate this Eid during difficult financial circumstances due to the collective punishment of Kurdistan Region citizens by the federal Government.”
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the most powerful political party in the Region, warned Baghdad that it would have a “serious stance” if Baghdad fails to pay the salaries of Kurdistan Region’s civil servants. It later hosted a meeting with several political parties to unify Kurdish voices in Baghdad but most of the key opposition parties boycotted it.
On Tuesday, Iraqi parliament second deputy speaker Shakhawan Abdullah, a KDP member, said that he and other senior party officials met with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday to deliver a message from KDP leader Masoud Barzani, stating that “under no pretext should people's salaries be suspended.”
Abdullah said that Prime Minister Sudani responded by saying he would disburse the salaries if the Supreme Federal Court issued a decision or administrative order in response to the complaint. However, the court has not issued any rulings and is unlikely to convene for at least several days, as many of its members are currently on pilgrimage (Hajj) in Saudi Arabia.
‘Genocide’
KDP Leader Masoud Barzani also dedicated part of his Eid message to express his anger at Baghdad for halting the disbursement of KRG’s salaries. He likened the latest measures by Baghdad by the heinous acts committed by the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein.
“As we approach this blessed holiday, the sustenance and salaries of the people of the Kurdistan Region have been cut by an unjust and oppressive decision from the authorities in Baghdad. Cutting salaries and the policy of collectively starving the people of Kurdistan is no different from Anfal, chemical attacks, and the genocide that the previous regime carried out against the Kurdish people,” he said.
He was referring to the Baathist regime’s genocidal campaigns against the Kurds, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands.
“The will of the people of Kurdistan is stronger and higher than any oppression, crime, or Anfal. Let those who oppose the people and Kurdistan Region look back at history - the people of Kurdistan have been resilient in the face of all pressure and violence, and have triumphed over enemies and criminals, leaving only regret for the oppressors,” the KDP leader noted.
Bafel Talabani, president of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), second strongest political party in the Region, also expressed concern in his Eid message about Baghdad's decision related to salaries.
“It is a great injustice that Kurdistan Region's civil servants are deprived of this basic right,” he stated.
He too asked the civil servants to rest assured that after Eid his party will “intensify our efforts to remove all obstacles and find a solution to this major problem by any means necessary.”
