BAGHDAD: A schism in the leadership of Iraq has been brought to light by the president’s lawsuit against Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani over unpaid salaries for civil officials in the autonomous region of Kurdistan. Although his adviser, Hawri Tawfiq, just made the announcement on Sunday, Kurdish President Abdul Latif Rashid filed the complaint against Sudani and Finance Minister Taif Sami last month.
In spite of continuous financial conflicts between Baghdad and Irbil, the regional capital, the lawsuit, which has been presented to Iraq’s highest court, asks for an order to guarantee that salaries are paid “without interruption.” Analysts claim that Sudani and Rashid had long-standing differences, and that corruption and incompetence plague Iraq’s public sector.
Public sector employees are still awaiting their December salary even though they received their January pay cheques.
According to Tawfiq, the lawsuit was only made public now because of protests over unpaid invoices in Sulaimaniyah, the president’s hometown and the second-largest city in Kurdistan.
Nechirvan Barzani, the regional president of Kurdistan, recently complimented Sudani for his assistance with financial matters, especially salaries.
According to local media, hundreds of Sulaimaniyah residents tried to demonstrate in Irbil on Sunday but were dispersed by police using tear gas.
Thirteen teachers in Sulaimaniyah have gone on a hunger strike as part of a two-week sit-in organised by others.
Iraq’s highest court this year mandated that the federal government pay Kurdistan’s public sector salaries directly rather than through the regional government, a demand that Sulaimaniyah workers have long demanded.
Also Read:
In a Single Week, Saudi Security Officers Detain 21,477 Unauthorised Inhabitants
