New US Airbase 'No Threat To Iran’

On Whether The Financial Conflict Between Baghdad And Erbil Is Nearly Resolved, And Whether Kurdish Oil Is Going To Iran

NIQASH: The Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, says he recently sent a letter to the new Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, with the intention of solving the long standing problems between Baghdad and Erbil. Do you know what the letter was about?

Dizayee: The letter talked about the problems Iraqi Kurdistan is having, about the dangers presented by the IS group and about the long standing issues between Erbil and Baghdad. It also talked about the refugee crisis the Iraqi Kurds are facing and how we needed help with that. The letter said that the region was ready to send a delegation to Baghdad to discuss, and hopefully solve, all of these problems. As yet though, we have had no response.

NIQASH: In fact, we heard that al-Abadi was going to transfer an advance payment of Iraqi Kurdistan’s share of the national budget during the first week he was in power. But he didn’t.

Dizayee: Because there was no such a decision.  It was only a rumour.

NIQASH: Why haven’t the Iraqi Kurdish ministers gone to Baghdad yet to take the oath of allegiance and join the government? Do you actually want more power and more ministries?

Dizayee: The Iraqi Kurdish share of potential ministries is less than the percentage we have of MPs in Parliament. It’s also less than our ratio, as an ethnicity that is part of the general population. We should have at least four ministries so we are still negotiating this issue. Additionally the Iraqi Kurdish were only given two ministries so far - so there is also dispute about who from Iraqi Kurdistan should run these ministries.

NIQASH: Iraqi Kurdish politicians have said that they’re giving al-Abadi’s new government three months to pull things together. Is the Iraqi Kurdish government just bluffing to put pressure on the new government? Or are they serious about threats like secession and abandoning the government in Baghdad?

Dizayee: It’s not meant to pressure anyone. During the three months, the al-Abadi government should prove it is serious about tackling some of the problems plaguing Iraqi Kurdistan and longstanding conflicts between Erbil and Baghdad.