Baghdad Bickers With Regions Over Iraqi Budget
The yearly argument over the budget in Iraq has yet again come to the fore, as the parliament cannot decide on what proportion to give to each of Iraq’s regions, writes Omar al-Shaher.
For years, Iraqis have been accustomed to discussing the annual budget twice: when the parliament endorses the budget discussions, and when the provinces announce their shares. In any case, the public is angry, criticizing the political conflicts that hamper ratification and the bureaucracy and corruption that impede the buget's disbursement.
Recurrently, discussions of these two subjects coincide, as is happening this month. As Iraqis wait impatiently for the parliament to ratify the 2013 budget, information spreads around the capital about the failure of many provinces to spend their shares of last year’s budget.
