Monday, 19 October 2026

On Baghdad–Erbil finances, Baghdad has begun top-up payments to oil companies in the Kurdistan Region. The payments follow Gulf Keystone Petroleum’s Thursday announcement that the first cargo of additional crude allocated by the State Oil Marketing Organization had been lifted, beginning settlement of outstanding price adjustments for fourth-quarter 2025 exports. A KRG delegation is also due to return to Baghdad for 2027 budget talks. On national oil earnings, al-Zaidi called Sunday for higher revenues and production capacity.

In Erbil, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani rejected Finance and Economy Minister Awat Sheikh Janab Noori’s resignation, a ministry source told Kurdistan24 on Monday. The source said the minister has not withdrawn his request and does not want to return to work. Sheikh Janab submitted his resignation on 30 September, accusing the Al-Sulaymaniyah administration of interference in departments affiliated with his ministry. The dispute comes as the region marks two years without a new government. Barzani met British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell on Monday to discuss efforts to reactivate the Kurdistan Parliament and form a new cabinet. They also discussed regional security and, according to the KRG, agreed to strengthen cooperation against irregular migration.

Separately, Iraq's foreign minister announced a Baghdad initiative for talks between Iran and Gulf states on Sunday. Iraq also renewed calls for a pact with the Gulf, saying security “cannot be brought from abroad”. Iraqi and Iranian officials discussed regional security, the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen on Sunday. The Baghdad OIC summit meanwhile backed Palestine and regional stability, following Iraq’s assumption of the organization’s foreign-ministers chairmanship from Turkiye on Saturday.

Sadiqoun parliamentary spokesman Mohammed al-Baldawi (AAH) called on Sunday for a presidential system through constitutional amendment, following the bloc’s Article 142 constitutional-review proposal. Speaking on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official), he said a parliamentary vote would precede a public referendum. He said the First Deputy Speaker would lead the initiative. Sadiqoun MP Saqr al-Amshani (AAH) called for review at parliament’s earliest session while protecting rights, freedoms and fundamental principles. Legal expert Musaddaq Adel said the initiative accorded with a Federal Supreme Court decision confining amendment work to parliament’s constitutional-amendments committee.

On cabinet appointments, al-Baldawi said Sadiqoun had received less than its entitlement. He predicted the prime minister in 2029 would come from the bloc. He linked deferral of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s fourth deputy-premier post to the Migration Ministry dispute. According to al-Baldawi, political forces agreed that al-Zaidi would nominate the migration minister, but the Kurdistan Democratic Party opposed his candidate. He said the portfolio belonged to the Christian component rather than a party. Separately, iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) described the tourism portfolio as having moved from the Sadrist current to Muntasirun (KSS — parliamentary bloc). It also reported a presidential decree appointing Ali al-Dukhaili as Tourism and Antiquities Minister. A presidential decree dated 18 October formalized the appointments of three deputy prime ministers and 11 ministers following parliamentary approval.

Separately, MP Hamid Abbas al-Mousawi said on Watan TV (Badr Organization — affiliated) on Monday that the PMF bill had reached parliament, after Jasim Muhammad Warwar (AAH — Sadiqoun MP) said on Friday it remained with the Council of Ministers. Al-Mousawi said the service-and-retirement and organizational bills had been combined into one proposal. He said the proposal contained more than 17 articles. PMF personnel in Najaf were also demanding residential land plots, iNEWS reported.

Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) and Unit 10,000 (KH — affiliated) reported on Monday that Azm Alliance head Muthanna al-Samarrai’s trial had been postponed to 29 October. They attributed the postponement to three witnesses denying a connection to the accused. Al-Ghadeer TV (Badr Organization — official) reported the same postponement but described its purpose as reviewing three witnesses’ testimony. Earlier that morning, Sabereen had paired its report of al-Samarrai’s detention on corruption charges with a reminder that Azm obtained two ministries during cabinet completion.

Separately, Iraq Energy Center head Furat al-Mousawi said on Al-Ahad on Sunday that Baghdad and Erbil had resolved their technical oil disputes. He also said foreign companies’ dues in the Kurdistan Region had been settled. Border Crossings Committee member Silwan Aqrawi called for oil-and-gas legislation and rejected temporary agreements. He said oil exports were entirely under SOMO and most blocs supported legislation. Oil, Gas and Natural Resources Committee member Qaisar al-Jorani said passage still required political consensus. He said the government had not sent the law and parliament had not discussed it.