People are afraid that promises made to them about improving their financial situation will prove to be empty words, and that divisions among Kurds could destroy their hopes.
“The economic slogans of the parties are apt. But what is important is that the team sent to Baghdad is familiar with economic matters and is able to highlight the weak points and that the Iraqi government will help resolve the problems. One cannot deliver on one’s economic promises to the people of Kurdistan, even if they are familiar with such matters, if the Iraqi government doesn’t help,” one voter in Erbil told Rudaw.
“The most important thing is for our political parties to be united and unanimous in their financial and economic positions when they go to Baghdad. We hope they are united, otherwise our situation will be even worse,” said another.
Four months before ISIS captured Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, in June 2014, the Iraqi government under then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki cut off the Kurdistan Region's budget, accusing Erbil of selling oil independently of central government. The suspension of the budget continued until March 2018 when serving Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi paid the salaries of the Region's civil servants.
Despite pressure from Kurdish authorities, the Iraqi government also reduced Erbil's budget share from 17 to 12.6 percent in the 2018 budget law.
All Kurdish parties are now campaigning on financial and economic matters and vowing to set the budget share to its original amount. All of them claim they will be working strenuously in the Iraqi parliament to reclaim the Kurdistan Region’s legitimate budget share, legalizing its oil and gas sector, and broadening sources of revenue.
“We need a multi-faceted economy that creates equality and prosperity in society. These projects will turn into bills in the Iraqi parliament when our MPs go to the Iraqi parliament,” Qasim Galali, head of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) election office, told Rudaw.
Kurdistan parties hope they can deliver on their promises when they enter the Iraqi parliament and assume positions of power.
“The promises that we have made are not so big that we cannot fulfill them. We can deliver on these promises in the Iraqi parliament or in the Iraqi government should we take on positions there,” Rebaz Hasan, a Gorran official, told Rudaw.
Kurds achieved many of their rights in Baghdad through unity and consent. However, the consent that was available following the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime no longer exists and Kurds are not as united as they were in previous terms of parliament.
The Iraqi parliament election is set to be held on May 12.
