Things entered a dark tunnel and can not predict its fate ... For the third time the parliament fails to vote on the budget of 2018 and reason !!

10-01-2018 All times are GMT

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Baghdad News -

For the third time in a row, the parliament failed to vote on the draft budget of the country for the current year 2018, because of serious differences between the political blocs, forced the Speaker of Parliament Salim Jubouri to call Prime Minister Haider Abadi to discuss the budget items, which was postponed consideration fornext Sunday, According to a statement issued by parliament on Monday, hoping to solve the problems related to about 35 items in the budget.

The parliamentary blocs are divided between pro-budget, conservative and many of its items, and a third categorically reject them, which threatens to repeat the budget scenario of 2014, which was delayed more than four months and introduced the country in many financial problems.

The seriousness of the delay of the adoption of the current budget, in connection with the allocation of sufficient amounts to the Electoral Commission for the legislative elections in early May, as well as the implementation of memorandums of understanding to develop the southern oil fields and joint with Iran, as well as other government projects, but the deputies considered that the adoption of the current form More dangerous than not.

The Council of Ministers submitted the draft budget to parliament in early December 2017, in the hope of its approval, but it was rejected by the blocks and several parties, most notably the coalition of Iraqi forces and the Kurdistan Alliance and deputies for the province of Basra and deputies for the independent civilian bloc, On the other.

The total value of the budget provided by the government 108 trillion Iraqi dinars (96 billion dollars) deficit estimated at 13 trillion dinars (11.5 billion dollars), despite the description of the budget austerity, as well as the price of a barrel of oil at about $ 45 a barrel, and an export rate of 3.8 Million barrels per day.

And threatens the Kurdish MPs to withdraw from parliament in the event of the adoption of the budget, which provides for reducing the share of the Kurdistan region of the total budget to 12% instead of 17%, demanding the survival of the share of the region as it is unchanged, as in previous years, to avoid further economic deterioration and stop development .

For members of the Alliance of Iraqi Forces, they object to not including in the budget any paragraph related to the reconstruction of cities and northern provinces and the devastated northern and the organization of a call, demanding compensation for the destruction of their homes and their commercial interests, as well as compensation of victims' families in accordance with the Constitution in force in the country.

And demands Basra through its deputies to have a larger share of the rest of the provinces, as they produce most of Iraq's oil, and exports and bear the burden of that without other provinces.

The Kurdistan Alliance MP Shakhwan Abdullah, said that 'the coalition agreed to withdraw from the parliament in the event did not give the province the right to the budget and wait for political understandings side and the presence of Prime Minister Haider Abadi to Parliament, and if nothing changed, we will not vote and we will withdraw.'

"There are attempts to impose a budget on us, and this can not be accepted by the Kurds and Sunnis and other MPs in the parliament," Abdullah said in a press statement.

"The Kurdistan Alliance threatens to withdraw and wants 17% of the budget and other benefits, as well as the blocks of the Alliance of forces wants the items of reconstruction and rehabilitation of destroyed cities and compensations, but I think they Want to postpone the elections and not to disrupt the budget '.

Saadi said in a press statement, 'things entered a dark tunnel and can not predict the fate of the budget, but it is certain that Abadi will not attend parliament and will not respond to the call'.

In the opinion of MP Kazim Sayadi that 'the budget must meet the ambition of the Iraqis, while it is currently balancing the government and not the budget of a people, and if passed, the parliament will be morally responsible for them.'

"The budget must address the current situation in Iraq. The current version has no reconstruction, no appointments, no allowances, no development projects, no rights for those affected by terrorism, and this is a big mistake and it must not pass," he said.

He added, 'The budget calculated the sale of oil on the basis of $ 45 a barrel, while the current price between 59 and $ 61 actually, and the difference that will result can provide many services and give people their rights, why not mention this in the budget and must be the Prime Minister about it' .

According to an official in the Presidency of the Parliament, the objections reached the government includes more than 35 items, including items of a political nature and purely economic.

He said in a press statement that among the objections to the allocation of 200 billion dinars (178 million dollars) for the Shiite stop and not to allocate a similar amount to the Sunni and other religions, and also not to allocate funds to tribal fighters against Daqash, while the allocation of about 122 thousand fighters from militias .

He added, 'Why there is no item or funds for the reconstruction of destroyed cities, and we have about 80 cities and towns devastating mission, and where the allocations of displaced persons and victims of terrorism or victims of military operations, while the allocation of funds for the wounded militias and did not allocate anything to citizens and these legitimate objections, Will begin today and tomorrow Thursday, hoping to address the problem.

baghdadnews.info