Kurdish Blocs Gather Signatures to Demand Parliamentary Session on KRG Salaries

Iraqi Parliament's Media

Iraqi Parliament's session.

A lawmaker of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc in the Iraqi parliament announced that Kurdish parliamentary blocs—excluding the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)—are actively collecting signatures to convene a parliamentary session focused on the salaries of public employees in the Kurdistan Region.

Speaking to PUKMEDIA, MP Srwa Mohammed stated: "As is well known, the parliament has fulfilled its legislative duties on this matter via the passage of relevant laws. The responsibility now lies with the executive authority. However, we have launched a campaign to collect lawmakers’ signatures to hold a special session addressing the salary crisis and broader outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad. So far, we have secured the signatures of more than 70 lawmakers."

She noted that the head of the PUK bloc has submitted detailed input regarding the salary delays and the worsening living conditions of public employees in the Kurdistan Region, who have gone two months without pay.

"We will continue to exert pressure on both the regional and federal governments to intensify their dialogue and reach a resolution, as the current conditions facing employees and citizens in the Region are deeply concerning," she stressed.

Mohammed also underlined the importance of active parliamentary participation: "In our view, engagement in parliamentary sessions and committee work is far more constructive than boycotts or non-attendance. It allows us to intervene and advocate for the financial and constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan."

The first session of the final legislative term of Iraq’s fifth parliamentary cycle took place on Saturday, 12 July 2025. The session, which was later adjourned to Monday, included voting procedures and the first and second readings of several draft laws.

The Iraqi federal government has suspended the disbursement of the KRG's share of the national budget, asserting that the Region’s full share of the national budget for 2023, 2024, and 2025—approved by Parliament—had already been disbursed. The move has left public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region without salaries for over two months. As of mid-July, employees have yet to receive their May salaries, exacerbating financial hardship and public frustration across the Region. 



PUKMEDIA