Kurdistan salary standoff: Leader Barzani, Iraq Speaker back joint federal proposal

Shafaq News – Erbil

On Sunday, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani and Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani endorsed a joint initiative with Baghdad to resolve the Kurdistan Region’s protracted salary crisis.

The meeting, held in Salahuddin Resort, focused on salary delays and fiscal disputes between the federal and regional governments, according to a statement from al-Mashhadani’s office.

Barzani expressed confidence in the Parliament’s ability to intervene effectively and called for immediate, practical efforts to address the impasse.

Meanwhile, al-Mashhadani emphasized that salaries must be insulated from political disputes, describing the issue as a national obligation and a humanitarian priority.

Both sides agreed to push for concrete proposals from Erbil and Baghdad going forward, urging joint review and implementation to prevent further disruption to public-sector pay.

Baghdad and Erbil have long been at odds over oil revenue management. While the Kurdistan Region previously exported crude independently, recent legal and financial pressures have pushed it to coordinate more closely with the federal government, particularly through Iraq’s state-run oil marketing company, SOMO.