[size=30]Analysis: The Kurds are the 'worst enemy' of themselves in Iraq and have lost their financial independence
[ltr]2023.06.18 - 11:23[/ltr]
[/size]
[ltr]2023.06.18 - 11:23[/ltr]
[/size]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Baghdad - people
An analysis published by The Washington Institute stated that internal Kurdish divisions eventually helped the Shiite and Sunni factions weaken the financial independence of the Kurdistan region, and this effectively led to the subjugation of the regional government to federal authority, and ushered in a new era of relations between Erbil and Baghdad.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
The analysis followed by "NAS" on Sunday (June 18, 2023) indicated that in recent years the state of the historical struggle for power between the two ruling parties in Kurdistan has worsened, and the efforts made by Western diplomats, which aimed at encouraging the two parties to restore the functional relationship, only led to Temporary lull.
Here is the text of the analysis:
The Kurds were once referred to as the kingmakers, as one of the pillars of stability and the strongest force in the fight against the Islamic State. Now, they are paralyzed by fierce partisanship, tribal politics, and internal divisions.
After months of bargaining and bickering, Iraq's parliament approved a controversial three-year budget on June 12. The 2023 budget provides a record $153 billion to fund Iraq's growing public sector, development projects, and infrastructure. Although disagreements between Kurds and Arabs over the KRG's rights and budgetary obligations derailed parliament sessions for a few days, internal Kurdish divisions eventually helped the Shiite and Sunni factions weaken the KRG's financial autonomy. This effectively brought the Kurdistan Regional Government under federal authority and ushered in a new era in relations between Erbil and Baghdad.
The Kurdish role in post-2003 Iraq
Since 2003, the Kurdistan Region has gained a significant degree of autonomy and political influence within the country. In fact, the Kurds were active participants in the new political landscape in Iraq from the beginning, as they were heavily involved in drafting the new constitution and ultimately shaping Iraq's political system. They have held important positions in the federal government, and have participated in the negotiations for the establishment of various governments and their formations over the years. The symbolic position of the presidency in Iraq is reserved for the Kurds, according to customs.
On the military front, the Kurdish Peshmerga forces played an effective role in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. With the advent of the Islamic State in 2014, the Peshmerga forces in effect gained territory and economic resources by extending their control over the oil-rich Kirkuk province, after the Iraqi federal forces abandoned their positions. The Peshmerga effectively expelled the Islamic State from Kirkuk, and later participated in attacks to drive the extremist group back. It was hailed as a fighting force on behalf of the world.
In addition to dealing with these political and military problems, the KRG has actively developed its economy over the past several years, attracting international capital and forming business alliances. It has significantly expanded its hydrocarbon sector, exporting 450,000 barrels of oil per day until March 2023. As a result, the Kurdish-controlled areas have been the most prosperous part of the country. Despite recent economic setbacks and the KRG's inability to pay civil servant salaries—in addition to the wealth disparity underlying the region's economic development—Kurdistan's poverty rate remains one of the lowest in all of Iraq.
Latent Kurdish divisions
The KRG appears to have all the characteristics of a sovereign state except for any formal international recognition. It even attempted to gain full sovereignty in 2017 by holding a controversial referendum on independence. However, this referendum led to great geographical, political and economic losses, and to the exacerbation of internal divisions hidden behind the apparent successes achieved by the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Politically, the historic struggle for power between the two ruling parties - the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan - has worsened in recent years. Efforts by Western diplomats, including US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara A. Leaf, which aimed to encourage the two parties to restore the functional relationship, only a temporary calm. Once the Western guidance stops, the two parties will have a much sharper rift after each deal. This reality reveals a harsh truth, which is that internal Kurdish peace depends on firm and continuous foreign rebuke.
The irony is that the Kurds are adept at bringing together competing foreign powers, but terrible at dealing with their internal differences. For example, the president of the Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani, is credited with mediating the phone call that took place between then-UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which led to the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Although Barzani deserves credit for courting the Kurdish parties and going the extra mile to try to bridge the political gaps within Kurdistan, his initiatives have been hampered by a complete lack of trust stemming from the deeply individualistic nature of politics. This tribal politics is so bad that each party is hell-bent on bringing the other down, regardless of the consequences for Kurdistan.
As a result, internal divisions undermined Kurdistan's autonomy vis-a-vis the federal government. These inter-party disputes weakened the Kurdish collective bargaining power and hindered the Kurds' ability to present a united front in negotiations with the federal government. Internal divisions also led to a lack of coherence in decision-making, making it impossible for the autonomous region to be effective in defending its autonomy and asserting its needs within the budget. The Shiite parties in the Coordination Framework used such divisions to gain more control and influence over the region's financial resources, particularly in the newly approved Iraqi budget law.
The acquiescence of the Kurdish authority did not stop at the loss of the entire oil sector in Kurdistan. Every dollar Erbil receives is subject to strict federal scrutiny, and the authority of the president of the Kurdistan region over how the money is spent falls under the jurisdiction of the Iraqi federal government and the Federal Office of Supreme Audit. In response to the KDP's financial marginalization, the PUK faction in Baghdad worked hard to make the Iraqi prime minister an arbiter in the event of any intra-Kurdish struggle over funding. It remains to be seen whether the prime minister will use his legal right to interfere in internal Kurdish affairs.
The failure of the Kurdish parties to rise to the occasion has diverted focus and resources from governance and development, jeopardizing the region's ability to build strong institutions and to govern itself effectively. This failure has also undermined the KRG's credibility and standing at the national, regional, and international levels. Even during the budget debate, which was crucial to the region's own economic viability, the Kurdish parties failed to articulate a well-balanced policy. Her best strategy was a self-destructive overreaction. As a result, the Kurdistan region is weaker than ever, and its future is uncertain.
Moreover, the KRG institutions have lost their legitimacy not only in the eyes of the people, but also from a legal perspective, especially after the Iraqi Supreme Court ruled that extending the parliament's mandate in the Kurdistan region is unconstitutional. Hence, the Kurdistan Region now needs to hold elections to restore its public and legal legitimacy, which would help reset all political tensions and conflicts between Kurdish political parties.
While these new elections cannot guarantee national unity, they can provide a good opportunity to boost confidence, encourage dialogue, and increase citizen participation. It can also help promote a sense of unity and common purpose, provided it is fair and clean. For this to happen, a political settlement must be reached in Kurdistan through a new political agreement backed by the KRG's foreign sponsors. Yet reaching this settlement will require more US and European diplomatic engagement than ever before, despite their diplomatic fatigue. In the event of a Western diplomatic vacuum, China and other Western adversaries could seek to fill the gap. Hence, Washington should not allow Beijing to score another diplomatic win in the Middle East.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Today at 7:20 am by Rocky
» Did Barzani agree in Tehran to end the presence of Iranian groups in Kurdistan? - urgent
Today at 7:16 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: We are establishing a new situation for the global energy market through the Development
Today at 7:14 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The government program devoted a wide scope to the government’s vision for oil and gas in
Today at 7:11 am by Rocky
» Al-Awadi: Ending the work of the UNAMI mission is consistent with the government’s vision in this fi
Today at 7:10 am by Rocky
» utube 5/9/24 MM&C 0:02 / 46:46 PM - Al-Sudani - Golden Opportunity - Private Sector - Contra
Today at 5:34 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 5/11/24 Iraqi Dinar - IQD Update - International - IraqTiming - 2024 Budget Schedule - Sp
Today at 5:32 am by Rocky
» MM&C Floating the dinar" returns to the forefront.. Will the Central Bank of Iraq resort to it and w
Today at 5:24 am by Rocky
» The Secretary of the Ministry of Defense meets with the Commander of the NATO mission
Today at 5:17 am by Rocky
» Expert: The stability of the economy is linked to the political situation
Today at 5:13 am by Rocky
» A parliamentary request to lift the injustice against 20,000 Iraqi employees
Today at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance criticizes the government's failure to send the budget schedules
Today at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Minister of Oil: The 5th and 6th licensing rounds will take place within the framework of exploratio
Today at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq is a difficult number in the global market in the field of energy
Today at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Khanjar rejects Al-Halbousi’s request to head Parliament
Today at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Revealing the date of the arrival of the 2024 budget schedules
Today at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Al-Halbousi nominates Talal Al-Zubaie for presidency of the House of Representatives
Today at 5:03 am by Rocky
» "A coup in Iraqi universities"... Replacement of presidents and deans under the new education law
Today at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq is a difficult number in the equation of energy and oil wealth in the region and the
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Minister of Oil: We hope to announce an increase in Iraq’s oil reserves to 160 billion barrels
Today at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Iraq's mass graves...stories that did not end with the burial of their owners, and the "legacy of IS
Today at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Pictures: New licenses in Iraq to extract “huge” quantities of oil and gas
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Transport reopens the Baghdad - Samarra railway line
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Al-Awadi: A government decision to provide sovereign guarantees and guarantees to encourage the inve
Today at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Oil clarifies the mechanism for investing grant funds and licensing contracts
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» A $700 million agreement is signed between Iraq and Italy to finance these projects
Today at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Iraq recovers 90 billion dinars from social protection violators
Today at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Sudanese officially launches the two licensing rounds and sets the date for stopping gas burning
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» An economic vision for the standard of competition for exploratory plots in Iraq
Today at 4:47 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Islamic Bank announces an increase in its capital to 300 billion dinars
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» A communication from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Interior in Kurdistan regarding “herb
Today at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Popular agreement to end the “cancer towers” crisis in the oldest villages of Diyala.. Document
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» What is the reason for OPEC's decision to stop publishing its estimates of the volume of global dema
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» It includes 29 projects in 12 governorates.. Launching the fifth supplementary licensing round and t
Today at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Among them are 8 Chinese companies...an economic view of the criteria for competition over explorato
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Sudanese: Gas burning will stop within 3-5 years
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» With the extension of its legislative term.. Will the Iraqi parliament succeed in resolving the budg
Today at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani's angry message to Guterres: We do not need UNAMI.. Describe your belongings and leave
Today at 4:35 am by Rocky
» As a result of corruption charges... Parliamentary signatures were collected to dismiss the director
Today at 4:33 am by Rocky
» 13 countries are competing for 29 fields, and Anbar and Muthanna have the lion’s share... Details of
Today at 4:30 am by Rocky
» Ending the international coalition’s mission...negotiations may take more time
Today at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Oil reveals a mechanism to support services and establish infrastructure projects in the producing g
Today at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim: The future cannot be mortgaged to volatile oil prices
Today at 4:26 am by Rocky
» The New Generation Movement files a lawsuit to dissolve the regional government: It is unable to mak
Today at 4:24 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The government program devoted a wide scope to the government’s vision for oil and gas in
Today at 4:23 am by Rocky
» Al-Rafidain: Loans for purchasing residential units start from 5 to 150 million
Today at 4:21 am by Rocky
» Iraq launches a new licensing round to develop oil and gas fields
Today at 4:20 am by Rocky
» Signing an agreement between Iraq and Italy to finance industrial projects worth $700 million
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» Minister of Oil: Soon we will announce the increase in Iraq’s oil reserves to 160 billion barrels
Today at 4:18 am by Rocky
» The Chinese company ZPEC wins the investment in the East Baghdad field - the northern extensions
Today at 4:17 am by Rocky
» utube 5/9/24 Iraqi Dinar | Ali Alaq Announced New Rate Finally Showing New Rate On Tv Screen | Din
Yesterday at 4:55 pm by Rocky
» A leader in the National Bank: We are committed to the federal decision and to postpone the election
Yesterday at 9:28 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim: Iraq's future cannot be mortgaged to volatile oil prices
Yesterday at 9:24 am by Rocky
» The conflict of the corridors: the path to development from a historical perspective and the door to
Yesterday at 9:22 am by Rocky
» The Kurdistan Region demands that the federal government spend 1.1 billion dinars.. What is the reas
Yesterday at 9:21 am by Rocky
» Tomorrow, Iraq is preparing to launch a complementary round of gas licensing
Yesterday at 9:19 am by Rocky
» A government move to restore the funds of the Trade Bank of Iraq
Yesterday at 9:17 am by Rocky
» The Central Bank informs France of plans to restructure the banking sector
Yesterday at 9:15 am by Rocky
» A government advisor reveals the fate of the budget tables
Yesterday at 9:13 am by Rocky
» Iranian mediation between Baghdad and Erbil... Revealing the most prominent files of Raisi’s visit t
Yesterday at 9:10 am by Rocky
» Reconstruction and development is a priority.. A parliamentary committee follows up and monitors gov
Yesterday at 9:08 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim comments on the agreements concluded with Türkiye and confirms: Iraq is on the right path
Yesterday at 9:06 am by Rocky
» Tomorrow... Iraq takes a step that will give it gas equivalent to 200% of imported Iranian gas
Yesterday at 9:04 am by Rocky
» A long and disturbing message.. The Iraqi government “blames” the United Nations because of “other p
Yesterday at 9:00 am by Rocky
» The Governor of the Central Bank and the French Ambassador discuss developments in the banking secto
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» Al-Bajari: Iraqi companies will have a great opportunity to work after opening the door to investmen
Yesterday at 5:16 am by Rocky
» Transparency: Imports from Sulaymaniyah and Halabja during the past week amounted to more than 10 bi
Yesterday at 5:13 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The delayed projects left great damage to the level of services in Babylon
Yesterday at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Economist: The fluctuation of the dollar is “the balance of speculators”
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» {Al-Furat News} publishes the text of Al-Sudani’s request to Guterres to end UNAMI’s work in Iraq
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» A former MP accuses Türkiye of transferring its conflict with the workers to Iraq
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» A call to the Sudanese to remove American forces from Iraq
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Oil Parliament: Ankara holds Erbil responsible for the oil fines it owes
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» The government is silent...the reality of removing American forces from Iraq
Yesterday at 5:01 am by Rocky
» The radiation protection law in the first session of the next legislative term
Yesterday at 5:00 am by Rocky
» A Spanish company raises controversy and a representative reveals a parliamentary movement against i
Yesterday at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Sudanese officially requests the end of the United Nations mission in Iraq / documents
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Because its sessions were not held, the Kirkuk Council faces a judicial complaint, and its members d
Yesterday at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Former US Chief of Staff: We slaughtered huge numbers of innocent people in Iraq and other countries
Yesterday at 4:55 am by Rocky
» The Association of Private Banks counts the percentage of shares traded on the stock market during a
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» The European Union and Iraq agree to increase cooperation between them
Yesterday at 4:52 am by Rocky
» American Bank: Expectations to increase Iraq’s oil capacity in 2025
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Central Bank Governor to the French Ambassador: The plan to restructure government banks will change
Yesterday at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Integrity confirms working to conclude a memorandum of understanding with the Kuwaiti Anti-Corruptio
Yesterday at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Highlights of the Prime Minister's visit to Babylon
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Transport discusses with a Turkish delegation the latest developments in the develop
Yesterday at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Free of charge.. Issuing approximately 13 thousand unified cards for those covered by social protect
Yesterday at 4:42 am by Rocky
» A parliamentary committee advises the government to deter trespassers: Slums are one of the reasons
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Embassy Protection confirms to “Baghdad Today”: The missions are safe and we have taken proactive me
Yesterday at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Water resources resolve the controversy of the “Wadi Al-Tea” project.. It will nourish the Hamrin ic
Yesterday at 4:37 am by Rocky
» After approving the National Security Strategy...a parliamentary movement to host “responsible” figu
Yesterday at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim calls for the distribution of plots of land to the families of the martyrs of the Popular M
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Order 160 Committee completes the “port scandals” papers... and searches for a legal outlet for impl
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» It revealed the details of its contract with four companies to complete the census requirements... P
Yesterday at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Egypt, Morocco and Qatar praise the Iraqi Integrity proposal to establish the Arab Law Enforcement C
Yesterday at 4:30 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Parliament enters its legislative recess and requires holding an “extraordinary” session o
Yesterday at 4:28 am by Rocky
» The Sudanese has not rested since the morning.. He carried out 12 activities and allocated a trillio
Yesterday at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Blinken's agent: Erbil is a strategic ally of Washington in a 360-degree relationship
Yesterday at 4:25 am by Rocky
» Oil seeks to convert refinery products to “Euro 5”... high quality and environmentally friendly
Yesterday at 4:24 am by Rocky