Iran Press/Middle East: In an exclusive interview with Iran press, Nazim Deabbagh added that the economic crisis in Kurdistan Region was due to the coronavirus outbreak, decrease in oil price, and cut of Kurdistan's budget by the Iraqi government which officials in Kurdistan could not pay the employee's salaries on time, and it led to protests in the region.
Under such circumstances, he went on to say, enemies infiltrated among protestors, and there were two groups; those who were following their legal demands in peace, and the other embarked on sabotage.
Nazim Dabbagh stated that of course, saboteurs were identified, and local officials are taking effective steps to control the situation.
"Although I am not going to deny the role of corruption in creating economic crisis and protests, if there were no decrease in oil price, a budget cut, and coronavirus pandemic, Iraq Kurdistan could pay the salaries on time, and so we would not witness protests", he highlighted.
The representative of Iraq Kurdistan Region in Iran stated that the government in Kurdistan Region has taken effective steps to reach an agreement with the Iraq government and has shown its readiness to give 50% of its local incomes to the Iraq government, though Iraq government declared that Kurdistan Region should give its oil to Baghdad, not the revenue gained through oil.
Dabbagh went on to say, "Although we have not reached final agreements with the Iraq government yet, Baghdad expects to receive half of the 550,000 exported oil. I hope the two sides reach an agreement through goodwill.
101/216
