Al-Haddad: peaceful demonstration is a legitimate right approved by the constitution, and what happened in Sulaymaniyah was related to the failure of the federal government to disburse financial dues to the region.

The Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Dr. Bashir Khalil Al-Haddad emphasized that the political problems and the continuing disputes between Baghdad and Erbil and the lack of common solutions between them regarding financial dues led to an exacerbation of the living conditions of the citizens of Kurdistan Region, Although the regional government has announced more than once its readiness to negotiate with the federal government, fulfil the oil obligations and agreements concluded between them, and address the outstanding issues and files between the two parties. Note that the federal government announced and through its official speaker. It deducts in advance the amount of damage from the oil exported from the region’s fields with the prescribed percentage of the non-oil revenues, It spent less than the rest, but this was also stopped, which caused embarrassment and deficit for the regional government.

The Deputy Speaker of the Council stated in this statement issued: “peaceful demonstrations is a legitimate right, whether in Sulaymaniyah and Erbil or in Nasiriyah, Basra and Baghdad, approved by the constitution. While Al-Haddad indicated that passing the law of financing the fiscal deficit away from the national consensus and previous agreements added another burden on the region’s employees, due to the suspension of the payment of financial dues, which prevented the payment of salaries.

His Eminence continued by saying, “We have asked the federal government more than once to pay Kurdistan farmers’ dues for the years (2014-2015-2016), In addition to the salaries of the Peshmerga, which are fixed in the allocations of the Ministry of Defense as regular forces to protect the borders of the region, but unfortunately, we do not know what is the legal text for not paying these dues?
Are these also due to oil disputes? Or what? Unfortunately, there are some political parties that did not isolate the differences and problems of the citizens’ sustenance. The only solution is to sit at the negotiating table, and the agreement between Baghdad and Erbil to fulfil all mutual obligations. Resolving all previous and current files within the framework of the constitution and respecting the region’s constitutional entity, And any solution outside the constitutional framework, such as a call to link the region’s salaries file directly from Baghdad, for example, that exacerbates the crisis and does not serve the solution endeavors, Because that violates the tasks of the region’s authorities and overrides its specializations, and deprives approximately 500,000 of those who receive the salary such like the Retired segments, The families of martyrs, political prisoners, the social care network, people with special needs and others. We hope in the near future that all files between the two governments will be handled with a serious and sincere will, Especially there are legislative dues and upcoming elections that require everyone to cooperate and work with a national vision and a fraternal spirit.

Media Office of the Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament
Tuesday 8 December 2020