Gorran MPS were allowed to speak for 5 minutes about the budget the Kurdistan region receives from Baghdad. But Kemal Kerkuki, the parliamentary speaker, wanted to vote to give the MPs 3 minutes or 5 minutes to speak.
Since the Change list MPS knew they would lose the vote, they started banging on the tables to stop the vote. As a result the parliamentary session was delayed until tomorrow. Sozan Shahab, the leader of the Kurdistani list in the Kurdish parliament, criticized the actions of the Gorran MPS. “We don’t accept it to make the Kurdish parliament, as the Iraqi parliament,” she said.
"The KRG's projects are all halted waiting for the budget bill to be ratified, so it should soon be approved”, Kurdish parliamentary speaker, Kemal Kerkuki, concluded, reported the AK news agency.
The Kurdistan region receives 17% of Iraq's general budget. The Kurdish opposition group Gorran says it wants more transparency on how the money is spent.
© Rudaw
