Kurdistan Region says its budget share is constitutionally protected and cannot be conditioned

ERBIL, Iraq — The Kurdistan Region’s share of Iraq’s federal budget is a constitutional right guaranteed under Article 121, third paragraph, of the Iraqi constitution, which calls for a fair allocation based on population, resources and needs without attaching additional conditions, according to a statement from the Kurdish delegation. The statement said recent federal budget laws have introduced conditions not found in the constitution — including mandatory oil deliveries, the transfer of non-oil revenues, financial audits and the reconciliation of accounts from previous years — effectively suspending the constitutional right. It added that budget legislation has shifted from a fiscal tool into a venue for resolving disputes between Baghdad and Erbil. The Kurdish delegation argued that the Kurdistan team should enter negotiations not only with objections but with a constitutionally compliant, clear and defensible alternative text, and that outstanding disputes should be resolved through independent legal channels and oversight bodies. It also recommended that Kurdish members of parliament take part in budget discussions, vote on constitutional grounds and cast recorded votes of opposition where the legislation fails to meet those requirements.