KRG Prime Minister limits ministers' authorities while empowering advisors

Reports 05:35 PM - 2023-04-24

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One more issue with the new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) headed by Masrour Barzani is the monopolization of powers through the advisors and assistants in his office. In addition to his five assistants, he has assigned advisors to most ministries and has given them full powers to exercise the powers of ministers. A former minister said: "No law allows advisors to have the powers of a minister."

Shalaw Ali Askari, an executive member of the Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), said in a TV program: "The prime minister, who is from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), had reclaimed control from the ministers. As soon as the KRG's ninth cabinet was formed, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani chose a few advisors for himself. By doing this, he transferred considerable authority from the ministers to his advisors, creating a "government within the government."

Advisors cannot make decisions

No law allows an advisor to the prime minister and an advisor to the ministers to make decisions or exercise ministerial authority. What is going on in the Kurdistan Region is entirely illegal.

Mahmoud Haji Salih, former Minister of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs of the KRG told PUKMEDIA: "No law allows ministerial advisors to have the powers of ministers, or to use the same powers. On the contrary, the advisor has his own name and can only be consulted."

"Ministers should give advisors tasks, or advisors can make proposals to the ministers, but what is seen in this cabinet is the opposite and a lot of powers have been given to the advisors, which is illegal," he said.

A government formed from security agencies

The ninth cabinet, an intelligence cabinet, is established by gathering security agencies, and its outcomes reflect the Kurdistan Region's poor governance experience.

"Our predictions for the ninth cabinet have come true," Ahmed Mira, a university lecturer and political analyst, told PUKMEDIA. "What is happening in the Kurdistan Region is not simply a political disaster; we are also experiencing a social disaster, despite the economic concerns." 

"In comparison to the other cabinets, the ninth cabinet has been the worst and most problematic," he noted. "In my opinion, the issue is with the prime minister himself; he could have worked with a softer mindset, a healthier agenda, and more service plans for the people, but there are some characters who should not have a place in government, especially those who are psychologically called politically inappropriate characters."

Individuality is jeopardizing the Kurdistan Region

The prime minister and deputy prime minister, the office of the Council of Ministers, 19 ministries, five offices, three boards, a council, an academy, and the office of the international recommendations coordinator make up the new cabinet. The KDP runs nine of these ministries. 

"What the Kurdistan Region people dreamed of after the civil war was to move towards a unified form of government, which is now in retreat, we do not have a healthy government," Mira said. "This is the result of the referendum, the so-called independent economic policy, and the division within the government." 

"The ninth cabinet is an intelligence cabinet, and the past experience of the intelligence cabinet has failed all over the world and will have security consequences, and the public security of the people and the parties will be endangered," he continued. 

The new government received the support of the Kurdistan Parliament on July 10, 2019, and Masrour Barzani, the KDP's nominee, was sworn in as prime minister. The PUK nominee, Qubad Talabani, was chosen as deputy prime minister. The KDP was elected to nine ministries. However, after entering office, the prime minister nominated advisers to the ministries not held by the KDP, illegitimately lowering ministerial powers and giving advisors absolute power. This created a government within a government and caused significant issues within the ministries.


PUKMEDIA