Kurdistan RegionG denounces closing its representation office in Baghdad
Erbil (IraqiNews.com) Kurdistan Regional Government requested the Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to “reconsider its decision to close the representation office of the Kurdistan RegionG in Baghdad,” describing the decision as “mono sided and has no legal basis.”
The Kurdistan Regional Government mentioned in a clarification statement received by Iraqi News “The Prime Minister’s Office has individually and without informing the Kurdistan Regional Government decided to close the Representation Office of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Baghdad, according to the letter no. 1373 on 08.08.2012 under the pretext of non existence of a legal basis for establishing this office.”
The Government of Kurdistan express its dissatisfaction towards this decision, stating that “This decision has no legal basis and will have negative impact on the regulation of relations between the Kurdistan RegionG and the Federal Government, which was organized in accordance with the Constitution,” indicating that “Any territory within the framework of a Federal State needs a legal coordination foundation for delivery of business between the two sides.”
The Kurdistan RegionG pointed out that “This Representative Office was established in Baghdad six years ago according to a letter issued by the office of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, no. 1063 in 7/24/2006, to complete its work in Baghdad, represented by exchange of many books and administrative decisions of GRG Representation Office and the FG, stressing that “All these are indicators that the existence of the Representative Office in Baghdad is legal and does not leave any pretext for the decision to close the Representation of the Kurdistan RegionG by the Office of the Prime Minister.”
Kurdistan Regional Government confirmed that “The aim of the establishment of this Representative Office is to improve relations and strengthen coordination between the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government, especially in the areas of courts, education, health and border crossings and the participation of representatives of the Kurdistan Region in the committees that work in Baghdad, and the regulation of relations with Baghdad as part of the Constitution.”
“Moreover, the Constitution, which regulates the relations between the regions and the federal government does not contain any objection to the opening of the Representative Offices of the regions in Baghdad,” the statement concluded.