New chapter in oil battle between Baghdad, Erbil
Taq Taq oil field in Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. Reuters image.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Kurdistan judicial council announced on Saturday that the central government in Baghdad does not have the right to cancel the oil and gas law in the region, which means it will remain effective, according to Sky News Arabia.
The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq ruled last February that the oil and gas law in the Kurdistan region is unconstitutional.
The ruling obliged Kurdistan to allow the Ministry of Oil and the Federal Board of Supreme Audit to monitor oil and gas sales in the region.
The decision cancels the local law in Kurdistan enacted in 2007 and forces Kurdistan government to deliver its oil production to the federal government.
Oil revenues have always been a complicated issue in the relations between Baghdad and Erbil for years.
According to a statement issued by Kurdistan judicial council, the actions of Kurdistan government related to oil and gas comply with the Iraqi constitution of 2005.
“The provisions of oil and gas law did not stipulate that exploration, production and export of oil and gas are limited to the federal authorities as stated in Article 110 of the constitution,” the statement of Kurdistan judicial council mentioned.
“According to Article 122 of the Iraqi constitution, the federal government manages oil and gas produced from current fields with the governments of producing regions and the governorates,” the statement added.