The President of Iraq, Abdul Latif Rashid, has filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani over the non-payment of salaries to public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region. This legal action follows long-standing tensions between the President and the Prime Minister, exacerbated by ongoing financial disputes between the federal government in Baghdad and the regional authorities in Erbil.
The lawsuit, which was filed last month, also includes Finance Minister Taif Sami as a defendant. However, it was officially disclosed by Federal Advisor Hawari Tawfiq only recently. The case, submitted to the Iraqi courts, seeks an immediate order ensuring the payment of wages to employees in the Kurdistan Region, despite the financial rift between Baghdad and Erbil.
Tawfiq pointed out that the lawsuit was a direct response to protests in Sulaymaniyah, the second-largest city in the Kurdistan Region and the President’s hometown. These protests, sparked by the failure to pay salaries, have drawn attention to the ongoing fiscal crises affecting the region.
Despite January salaries being disbursed, many public sector workers are still waiting for their December pay. The situation has highlighted broader issues of inefficiency and corruption within Iraq’s public sector, further complicating relations between President Rashid and Prime Minister al-Sudani.
This legal move underscores the deepening divide between Iraq’s political leadership, with analysts suggesting that the long-standing disagreements between the President and the Prime Minister are unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, leaving public sector employees caught in the crossfire.
