Irak: Neues Budget sieht Umsetzung des § 140 vor

Endlich scheint es eine irakische Regierung mit Umsetzung des § 140 der irakischen Verfassung ernst zu meinen. Dieser sieht vor, dass ein Zensus in den so genannten "disputed territories" im Norden des Landes durchgeführt wird und die Bevölkerung dann darüber abstimmen kann, ob sie sich der kurdischen Autonomieregion anschließen will. Vor allem die ölreiche Stadt Kirkuk ist davon betroffen:

Iraq’s 2023 budget bill includes funds to implement a constitutional article about contested regions of the country as well as to establish joint brigades between the Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi army, Iraq’s deputy finance minister said on Saturday.

“The prime minister’s office asked for 50 billion dinars ($38 million) from Iraq’s 2023 budget for the implementation of article 140, however as the Ministry of Finance, we increased that amount to 100 billion dinars, since the implementation of the article is a part of the government’s programme,” Deputy Finance Minister Masoud Haider told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman.

Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution details steps to resolve a dispute between the federal and regional government who both claim jurisdiction over disputed areas of the country such as Kirkuk province. Successive federal governments have failed to implement the article.

The budget also includes funds to establish two joint Iraqi-Kurdish brigades, according to the deputy minister. The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Peshmerga Ministry, in coordination with the Iraqi Defence Ministry, will establish two brigades including 20,000 Peshmerga. All procedures for the establishment of these brigades are finalized, he said.