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People in Iraqi Kurdistan protest 2012
budget
29.6.2012 |
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Press TV Video
June 29, 2012
SULAIMANIYAH,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — People turned out in
the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimaniyah
city on Thursday to protest against the region’s
national budget. The demonstration was held in front
of the Kurdistan Parliament office in the city.
Members of the public, MPs, journalists and
activists criticized Kurdistan’s government, saying
the budget is not transparent.
The budget was
passed on
Sunday amid protests and a parliamentary boycott by
opposition political forces.
President of the Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani
has
approved the
region's 2012 budget, said chief of staff to the
presidency of the Kurdistan Regional Government on
Wednesday.
The budget has been delayed since January.
Opposition MPs say there are significant gaps in the
budget that give way to corruption and most of the
government’s income is unclear.
They told Press TV earlier that the budget contains
projects for one billion Dinars but there are no
titles for the projects. MPs from Kurdistan’s two
ruling parties - the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
and the Kurdistan Democratic Party - previously
criticized opposition MPs for trying to make the
budget bill fail.
The budget amounts to $13bn with a deficit of $2bn.
Under a political agreement between Iraq and the
Kurdistan Region, Kurdistan should get 17 percent of
Iraq’s budget. Kurdistan only received 10.7 percent.
Kurdistan’s Ministry of Finance accused Baghdad of
increasing sovereign and federal expenses,www.ekurd.net
as well
as limiting the expenses of Kurdistan. In turn, this
led to a decrease in the region's share of the
budget. The federal government says it deducted part
of Kurdistan’s budget due to the region's decision
to halt oil exports following a payment dispute with
Baghdad.
Sulaimaniyah witnessed violent public
protests in
February 2011, partly over accusations of government
corruption. Opposition parties also protested over
Kurdistan's budget last year.
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