Iraq News Now

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The question of the disputed areas should be solved by the Iraqi Council of Ministers in coordination with locals from the areas after the Kurdistan Region forms its new government, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi argued on Friday. 

"On the 140 Article by the constitution with the CoR (Council of Representatives), we have to create a committee to address these [areas]. Clearly, there are service problems. Some of these areas started to have problems after the liberation battle," he explained at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

Primarily, questions remain as to whether the Kurdistan Region will contribute to the reconstruction or the federal government, according to the speaker. The Kurdistani or disputed areas lie in diverse areas like Shingal, the Nineveh Plains, Makhmour, and Tuz Khurmatu which were under the administration of the KRG during the Islamic State (ISIS) conflict, but were no-man's-land during much of the US invasion and resurgence. 

"This is a problem: this or that? And these people are suffering because they have not received anything — no infrastructure efforts from either one. To provide these services for IDPs and to bring the IDPs so the decision makers of those 140 Article [areas] are the people of these [places]... how to implement this?" he posited.

Iraq held parliamentary elections on May 12. All but a few key ministerial posts have been filled. The Kurdistan Region held an election on September 30. 

Erbil is yet to form a cabinet or elect a prime minister because of disputes between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. A parliament session is due to convene on Saturday.

"I think because the IKR [Iraqi Kurdistan Region] is busy in the formation of their Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), after this, hopefully, before 2020 according to Baghdad and the IKR schedule's points-of-view, we have to deal with this," said Halbousi, referring to Article 140.

In much shorter time than under predecessor PM Haider al-Abadi, Adil Abdul-Mahdi who has historic relations with Kurds was able to help negotiate a budget that was acceptable to both the IKR and the federal government.

"The relationship between Baghdad and Erbil, or Kurdistan, it was somehow... now I think it's much, much better than how it was before. There is an intention in Baghdad to have an understanding with the IKR (Iraqi Kurdistan Region) and vice versa with a relationship to everything,” Halbousi said.

The Kurdistan Region's independent sale of oil has been a sticking point in previous budgets. 

"But this year is much, much better than everyone before. We have somehow compromised from Baghdad to Erbil and Erbil gave some comprises to Baghdad to agree in 2019 to have resolved all of the outstanding problems between the two,” he added.

"There are clear differences on the contracts in IKR, for example, the contracts are partnership contracts. In Baghdad, it's more than partnership. It's about how to service these contracts.”

Halbousi claimed the will is always there to resolve outstanding issues. 

"This is how we are going to negotiate in the next phase as a political entity, we have to work on that. It will always be a problem, but we have to, both sides have to comprise in order to service the Iraqi people, the Kurdistan people," he said.

Halbousi, a Sunni politician who is the former governor of Anbar, said after assuming the office of speaker last year, he met with leaders of Iraq's various ethno-religious components including Yezidis.

"State institutions, security institutions... we want them to enter the state institutions; this way they would protect their own areas ... and contributors to the security portfolio in their own home areas," he said.

Halbousi spoke of the diverse Nineveh Plains, where he acknowledged "an external" presence.

"These areas are so much interacting with one another, with these components; we have to start at the political level, of course from the top down," he said.

Halbousi also explained foreign countries to assist in reconciliation, but along humanitarian lines instead of political.

"We work with the legislature and the government and the international community to split the humanity aspect from the elector aspect — any pragmatic election issue they have all the right to elect anyone who would represent them. Whoever they want to elect, of course, we have to respect that," he said.

He blamed longstanding sectarian politics for a delay in the full formation of the government of Baghdad, but argued that because "the Iraqi people don't trust these parties anymore" the tide is turning.

"Delays in the formation of the Iraqi government are not about conflicting interests. There is a personal stubbornness and a fight of wills between the blocs,” Halbousi claimed.

The executive branch of government is needed to help in combatting decades-old corruption, he argued.

"All the files since 2003 until now will be dealt with and reopened ... All findings will be revealed to the Iraqi public clearly ... I commend [the justice system] and praise them for what they did in complementing the three presidencies on the bureaucracy file," he claimed.

He implored for the Iraqi diaspora to play a more positive role within the country.

"They have a clearer and a good picture of Iraq. The sectarian aspect is much, much less outside of Iraq," he claimed. "...even if they are in conflict with each other, as soon as they leave, generally speaking, the environment is much, much, much better," he said.

"There are just so many tribes in Iraq,” the speaker said. “They are extended everywhere in Sunni and in Shiite areas. The Iraqi community outside of Iraq, they have to somehow reflect that image that they will contribute positively in the civil reconciliation in Iraq..."

USIP is an institution funded by the US federal government and located in Washington, D.C. Halbousi was invited to speak about 'A New Parliament in Iraq.'

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