Baghdad-Erbil dispute: committees already finished reports

[Stillw8n]

Baghdad-Erbil dispute: committees already finished reports
27/10/2011 15:22

Baghdad, Oct. 27 (AKnews) - The three committees that had been formed yesterday to tackle the the most urgent disputes between the federal and the Kurdish governments allegedly finished their reports, according to a source who asked not to be named.

The source said that the reports have already been sent to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

On Tuesday, the delegation of Kurdsih politicians, led by Kurdish Prime Minister Barham Ahmed Salih, and the representatives of the federal government agreed that joint committees are supposed to solve the disputes over the budget for the Peshmarga, the oil and gas law, and article 140 of the constitution.

Iraqis and Kurds have different opinions on all three issues. The Kurds demand the integration of the Kurdish defense forces (the Peshmarga) into the Iraqi army, paid for by the Iraqi government; they want a completely new hydrocarbon law; and the demand the implementation of Article 140 into the Iraqi constitution -- which authorizes payments to Kurds who were forced from their homes under Saddam Hussein, a comprehensive census of ethnic groups and a referendum to decide if disputed areas should fall under the control of Kurdistan Regional Government.

The conflict has been going on for months. It gets heated from time to time, for example after an incident, known as "Khanaqin flag order", when Maliki ordered all Kurdish flags to be taken down from government buildings in the disputed city of Khanaqin. This led to protests in many Kurdish cities. Maliki's government later denied responsibility, saying the order was "carried out by the local government at an inappropriate time" and the dispute was sparked by "external political parties and powers".

Another incident that sparked the dispute happened over the last week, when the question of Kurdish independence was raised again. Izzat Shabandar, a leader in the ruling State of Law Coalition (SLC), had suggested that the Kurds found an independent state and to put disputed areas under national control since "no satisfactory decision for both parties can be reached as far as the disputed areas are concerned."

Shabandar's idea was immediately rejected by the Kurdistan Blocs Coalition (KBC). "The Kurdish leaders are not thinking now of this issue and we chose to stay within a federal unified Iraq and we are very keen to implement the Constitution and respect the unity and sovereignty of Iraq," KBC spokesman Muayyid Tayyeb said.

However, Kurdish President Massoud Barzani allegedly said in an interview with al-Arabiya TV that Kurds were ready for a war for independence, if Kurds vote for secession in a referendum. "We are ready to pay the price even if it means war", Barzani was quoted.

By Raman Brusk

LH/CU/AKnews



http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/269602/