The Kurdistan Democratic Party stated its position on the oil and gas legislation today, Tuesday, and while it regarded the bill “important,” it affirmed the presence of political groups opposing its adoption.
In an interview with the “Al-Ma’louma” news agency, the party’s leader, Wafa Muhammad, stated, “The Democratic Party has always supported passing the oil and gas law, as it is one of the demands emphasized by the party’s leader, Masoud Barzani, when he entered the state administration coalition, and during the establishment of the current government.”
Furthermore, he stated, “The oil and gas law is important, as it will determine the proportion of the Kurdistan region and the level of oil delivered to the federal government,” and pointed out that “Kurdistan, in any case, will deliver its oil to Baghdad, but the existence of a law that regulates this file and is approved by the Iraqi parliament, it is natural that It will be in the interest of the region.”
According to the leader of Barzani’s party, “there are political forces present within Parliament, and they are the ones standing and obstructing the passage of this law, especially at this time.”
Earlier, Sherif Suleiman, a member of the House of Representatives, indicated that Parliament will require a significant amount of time and debate to develop the oil and gas law in a way that benefits all governorates and is compatible with the constitution.
The Parliamentary Oil, Gas, and Natural Resources Committee reaffirmed the lack of agreement between Baghdad and Erbil on several provisions of the oil and gas legislation, referring to the establishment of committees to remove hurdles and bring opposing opinions closer to settling the law.
The oil and gas legislation has been a source of contention between Erbil and Baghdad for many years, but the two sides decided to ratify this draft law inside the context of a framework agreement.
