Federal court ruling against Kurdish oil, gas industry complicates resolving crises: Sunni alliance

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Sunni alliance on Wednesday said that the decision of the federal court against the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas industry would complicate efforts made to resolve existing issues, calling on Erbil and Baghdad to start immediate negotiations to resolve the issue.

In a statement, the Sovereignty Alliance, consisting of both the Sunni Taqadum party and Azm coalition, said that while they respect the rule of the court, “the federal court’s delay in resolving crucial cases or making decisions at critical times will complicate sincere efforts towards resolving crises and will push the country into unknown possibilities.”

The Sunni alliance also called on both Erbil and Baghdad to start negotiations immediately in order to resolve the issue.

The statement comes after a review on Tuesday of the cases brought against oil exports from the Kurdistan Region to foreign countries without prior approval from the federal government. The Iraqi oil ministry filed cases against the KRG, in 2012 and in 2019, for exporting oil without approval from the federal government.

The court’s decision found the Oil and Gas Law of the Kurdistan Regional Government No. (22) of 2007 to be “unconstitutional,” and therefore struck down the legal basis for the independence of the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas sector.

The KRG responded to the decision late Tuesday, saying that the court’s ruling is not only “unconstitutional” but also “unjust.”

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani, who himself played a key role in drafting the 2005 Iraqi constitution, said that the decision was political, and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said early Wednesday that the court’s decision could further complicate the disputes between the two capitals.

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