Will Baghdad open the “postponed accounts” with the region and end the era of political compromises?
The latest data from the Federal Integrity Commission indicates that indicators of public funds mismanagement and the recovery of smuggled funds have reached record levels. Meanwhile, oversight reports concerning border crossings, oil revenues, and civil servants in the Kurdistan Region continue to face legal and political obstacles preventing their full audit by the Federal Board of Supreme Audit.
This discrepancy in figures places decision-makers in Baghdad under increasing public and legal pressure, and raises the inevitable question in political and public circles: When will the preferential treatment of the region end, and when will the equation for opening corruption files be applied equally to the region without exception or political immunity?
At this time, parliamentary and public demands to open corruption files in the Kurdistan Region are escalating, amidst repeated accusations from political circles in Baghdad of misappropriating public funds and wasting state money through oil and border crossings.
In this context, MP and former minister Wael Abdul Latif affirmed on Monday that the federal government’s dealings with the Kurdistan Region remain shrouded in ambiguity and uncertainty, particularly regarding matters related to the state’s sovereign rights. He stressed that the region is an integral part of Iraq and must be subject to the same regulations as all other provinces and state institutions.
In a statement to Al-Maalomah News Agency, Abdul Latif said, “The Kurdistan Region is not immune to the quagmire of corruption, and those involved in corruption there must be pursued and condemned, specifically concerning the ongoing smuggling of oil abroad on a daily basis without the knowledge or consent of the federal government.”
He added, “The region has been smuggling oil for a long time, transporting between 50 and 60 tankers daily at a minimum,” asking, “We still don’t know where these smuggled shipments are sold, at what price, or which political parties or entities benefit from the financial proceeds.”
Abdul Latif called on “the current government and the judiciary to take serious and effective action to open major corruption cases within the region, and to completely abandon the policy of political favoritism adopted by previous governments, which led to the squandering of the Iraqi people’s wealth.”
For his part, a leading source within the coordination framework, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed that the volume of corruption cases linked to the Kurdistan Region and some of its representatives in the federal government “has become too large to ignore,” considering that successive governments have dealt with these cases cautiously for political reasons.
The source told Al-Maalomah News Agency that “previous and current governments have pursued a policy of turning a blind eye to many corruption cases related to the region under the pretext of maintaining political agreements and not complicating relations with Kurdish leaders.”
He added that “there are accusations related to oil and investment files, smuggling networks, as well as awarding projects to companies linked to the region, which necessitates opening transparent legal investigations to uncover the facts and hold those involved accountable if the violations are proven.”
As for the general irrigation situation, experts believe that the anti-corruption campaign will face a real test if it extends to all files without exception, away from political pressures or partisan calculations, since the principle of equality before the law represents one of the most important criteria for the success of any reform project.
Observers note that resolving the contentious issues between Baghdad and Erbil through legal and judicial frameworks could contribute to strengthening confidence in oversight institutions and confirm that combating corruption is not linked to a specific region or political entity, but rather targets anyone proven to be involved in wasting public funds or abusing their influence.
Amidst the ongoing debate, the focus remains on the ability of judicial and oversight institutions to manage this issue according to evidence and legal procedures, ensuring the consolidation of the principles of justice and the rule of law, free from selectivity or political considerations. This is because combating corruption only achieves its objectives when it encompasses all those accused without discrimination, regardless of their location. ForeignInvestment Guide
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