Kurdistan MPs Receive Millions in Salaries as Parliament Remains Paralyzed
More than a year after being sworn in, members of the Kurdistan Parliament have yet to convene a single legislative session, despite receiving billions of Iraqi dinars in salaries amid an ongoing political deadlock.
According to figures disclosed by Sarwar Abdulrahman, head of the Pay Organization for Parliamentary Affairs, 97 lawmakers elected in the Oct. 20, 2024 Kurdistan parliamentary elections have been paid for nine months without performing parliamentary duties. The total cost of these payments is estimated at 6.72 billion Iraqi dinars, according to Awene.
Lawmakers took the constitutional oath on Dec. 2, 2024, triggering their eligibility for salaries. They did not receive payment for December only because public-sector salaries across the region were suspended that month. Payments resumed from January through September, with salaries for October also expected.
Each MP earns a monthly base salary of 8.2 million dinars. Due to the absence of parliamentary committees, lawmakers have not received the 500,000-dinar committee allowance. After deductions of roughly 300,000 dinars for housing and services, each MP takes home about 7.7 million dinars per month, totaling approximately 69.3 million dinars per lawmaker over nine months.
Parliament Frozen, Constitutional Duties Unmet
Under the parliament’s internal regulations, the first session of the new term should have included the election of the speaker and parliamentary leadership, the formation of committees, the election of the Kurdistan Region’s president, and the designation of the largest bloc tasked with forming a government. None of these steps has occurred.
“The time during which parliament remains closed cannot be compensated,” Abdulrahman said. “A parliament that does not legislate, does not approve a budget, and does not exercise oversight raises a fundamental question: What is this parliament for? Are MPs appointed merely to collect salaries?”
Boycott and Political Disputes
Three elected lawmakers — two from the Justice Group and one from the People’s Front — are not receiving salaries after refusing to take the oath, citing objections to the election results.
Omar Golpi, a Justice Group MP who boycotted the swearing-in, said his bloc rejected parliamentary privileges and holds sworn-in lawmakers responsible for the ongoing paralysis.
“They should have made serious efforts over the past year to prevent parliament from remaining closed,” Golpi said. “In our view, this parliamentary term does not genuinely represent the people of Kurdistan.”
Golpi described the prolonged shutdown as a “national embarrassment,” adding that there is no precedent for a parliament being closed for such an extended period without justification.
KDP–PUK Blame Game
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which holds the largest bloc in parliament, has blamed the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and opposition parties for the deadlock.
Mird Ali, a KDP lawmaker, said his party is engaged in ongoing talks with the PUK and other political forces to reopen parliament and form a government.
“We are not the ones who paralyzed parliament,” Ali said. “A society’s lifeline is its parliament, and its closure for nearly three years has harmed social, economic, and political legislation.” He added that the KDP is ready to reopen parliament within 48 hours if the PUK agrees.
The PUK, however, insists that a comprehensive political agreement must precede any reopening.
Shler Ghafour, a PUK lawmaker, said the shutdown has created a legal vacuum, leaving the Kurdistan Region under a caretaker administration. She rejected claims that the KDP holds a functional majority.
“A majority that cannot complete a legal quorum or form a government is not a real majority,” Ghafour said, adding that the PUK will not participate in a government unless it is an equal partner.
Public Anger Grows
The Islamic Group said it has repeatedly called for parliament’s reopening and emphasized that lawmakers’ salaries are mandated by law.
Mustafa Abdullah, an Islamic Group MP, said his bloc has held multiple press conferences outside parliament to demand accountability from all parties, including the KDP and PUK.
“Since taking the oath, no special privileges such as security details or drivers have been granted,” Abdullah said. “We have only received salaries stipulated by law. It is not our fault that parliament remains closed.”
As political negotiations continue without resolution, public frustration is mounting over lawmakers drawing full salaries while the Kurdistan Parliament remains effectively inactive, deepening concerns about accountability, governance, and democratic legitimacy in the region.