Parliament Speaker calls on Baghdad, Erbil to resolve disputes
kurdsatnews
Sep 4, 2022
Iraqi Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Halbousi, left, departs the Department of State after meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in Washington, Thursday, March 28, 2019.
Regarding the national dialogue, Speaker al-Halbusi addressed several important issues, including the oil and gas law coordination between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region.
"The date of early elections and provincial councils must be determined by the end of next year," Halbusi said. It should also elect a president, and the next government should have full powers and be trusted by the people and political forces.
He called for the revision of Article 76 of the constitution and the law on the elections to the House of Representatives or remain unchanged, as well as the approval of the budget law and the law of the Federal Supreme Court per Article 92 of the constitution. Article 92 of the constitution stipulates that "the Federal Supreme Court is an independent judicial body, financially and administratively."
Al-Halbusi also called for the relations between the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to coordinate their efforts and put an end to their disputes over the KRG's energy sector.
Early 2022, Baghdad's Supreme Court called the region's handling of its oil sector unconstitutional and called on energy firms operating in the region to operate legally by making contracts with Baghdad and not the Kurdistan region. Although the Iraqi government expressed its interest in carrying out the decision the issue remains a source of contention between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad.
Mouhammed al-Halbousi's remarks come after sustained violence and stalemate in Baghdad over forming the next government.