KT News and Comment:
A prominent Gorran MP in the Iraqi parliament has accused other Kurdish MPs of wrongly opposing Iraq’s budget because of the ongoing oil dispute.
Latif Mustafa told Awene that, while the Iraq budget ‘belongs’ to ordinary people, the oil dispute between Baghdad and Erbil mainly concerns the corrupt politicians, oil contractors and foreign companies that reap most of the benefits.
He attacked MPs from the ruling KDP and PUK who have opposed the budget and returned to Erbil in protest. Ordinary people could have paid for these theatrics but thankfully the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) has got a reasonable settlement this year – 17% of the central government budget.
The Iraqi government is still refusing to pay money owed to foreign oil companies working in the south of Kurdistan because, it says, the KRG has kept $10 billion of oil income owed to central government coffers. However, this claim cannot be substantiated.
As the Gorran MP says, Kurdistan’s politicians should confront Baghdad, not over dodgy oil dealings, but over Article 140 and other matters affecting the destiny of our people.
Latif Mustafa is the kind of MP who always speaks his mind, straightforwardly and clearly. Kurdistan needs more MPs like him.
Copyright © 2013 Kurdistantribune.com
Nonsense!
Oil finances 100% of the Iraqui budget and oil dispute is for the rich?
Which money finances schools, pensions, food and security in Iraq?
Industrial production, agricultural exports, fishing exports, tourism?
I believe that Mr Gorran is not living in this planet, he comes from another galaxy.
Mustafa is a beloved MP in our The Kurdistan Region, only one thing in orderto a free man loves him is that He is always says somethings that are true and he believes himself. He is often criticizes very high officials of KDP and PUK. He is somtimes criticized Nawshirwan Mustafa himself and his son due to their errors, because we need Latif and his examples to criticize the political tyranny attitude in The South of The Kurditan from of KDP and PUK to Nawshirwan Mustafa himself and his Dictatorship Reformist(no opposition) Party…
It is part of a democracy to have your own opinion. Fair! But opinions without facts risk to becomes liars. For which purpose? The truth is that without oil Iraq and Kurdistan is nothing.
Oil will make all the dreams of the iraquis and kurds true!.
Oil deserves respects because is the life nerve of all kurds