The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against the payment of the Kurdistan Region’s financial entitlements by Baghdad, claiming it violates the 2021 Iraqi Budget Law.
The decision was criticized by top Kurdish officials, including Abdullah, who accused “a party within the Running the State coalition” of directing the Federal Court to issue the recent decision against the Kurdistan Region, ordering the court to deem the Region’s oil and gas law “unconstitutional” last year, and being responsible for the fluctuation of the Iraqi dinar’s exchange rate with foreign currencies in recent months.
“Rest assured that there will be an end to the overstepping by the Federal Court,” said Abdullah in his statement.
The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court on Sunday said that Abdullah was being summoned for his “infringement of the judiciary authority’s independence, and his interference in the work of the Federal Supreme Court, his transgression of it, and the violation of the sanctity of its decisions contrary to the constitution and the law.”
The decision to summon Abdullah is in accordance with Article 229 of the Iraqi Penal Code which stipulates a detention period not exceeding three years plus a fine for anyone who insults a judge, court, or any body carrying out a legal function.
The 2021 Iraqi budget law was passed after months of contention over the Kurdistan Region’s share of the federal budget.
Unable to reach a final agreement over the Kurdistan Region’s share of the budget and independent oil sales at the time, an agreement was made between both governments, where Baghdad would send 200 billion dinars ($125 million) monthly to the Kurdistan Region.
The newly-formed Iraqi cabinet, headed by Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, recently approved the payment of 400 billion dinars ($250 million) to the Region for the months of November and December the last year, however the federal court decision forbids that from happening.
