UPDATE: Iraq not seeking economic blockade on Kurdistan: parliament chief
Iraqi Parliament. Archival photo.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraq is not seeking to create an economic blockade on Kurdistan region, the parliament’s speaker said Tuesday as the government has mounted penal measures over the region’s referendum on independence from Baghdad.
“We are anxious to ensure that the decision do not affect our people in Kurdistan,” Salim al-Jubouri said in press statements at the parliament building. “There won’t be a financial blockade on Kurdistan,” he said.
The Iraqi Parliament issued a binding decision on Tuesday banning financial dealings with Kurdistan Region over the latter’s popular vote to secede from Iraq.
The decision was submitted to the chamber by its finance committee, Baghdad Today reported.
The parliament’s presidency also plans to approach the country’s top Federal Court to take measures against MPs who had taken part in the divisive polls organized on September 25th, the website said.
Kurdish MPs had suspended their participation in the parliament’s sessions in September when the chamber voted against holding the referendum, but recent news told of an imminent return of those representatives.
Kurdistan electoral commission said 92% of voters had backed independence as per polling results.
Baghdad rejects the vote as unconstitutional, and has reiterated it was not going to refer to its results as basis for future negotiations over disputed matters with Erbil.
Baghdad and Erbil have disputed sovereignty over a number of provinces and the distribution of oil revenues from oil fields falling within Kurdistan.
Iraq has imposed a set of penal measures against Kurdistan over the referendum, but assured that sanctions were meant at Kurdish officials rather than citizens.
Iraq, Turkey and Iran have closed their border areas and airspaces with the region, Baghdad had also ordered Erbil to hand over the administration of airports falling inside the region as well as control over petroleum resources and revenues. An embargo on international flights to and from Kurdistan went into force late Friday.