Salaries Are the People’s Right Not a Political Weapon

 

Rebwar Abdullah – Activist 

Baghdad punishes ordinary people and public servants instead of holding officials accountable! Unfortunately, officials in Baghdad consistently respond to any political stance taken by Kurdistan Region leaders by using the livelihoods of public servants and citizens as a bargaining chip. They cut salaries as leverage not as a matter of justice or law.

Why does Baghdad turn a blind eye to the rampant oil smuggling conducted by officials in the Kurdistan Region? Why does it never challenge the elite’s interests, yet keeps a laser focus on the salaries of ordinary workers?

The KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) doesn’t govern based on functional institutions it’s a patchwork of power rather than service. Everyone knows the decisions taken by Baghdad’s Taif Sami and others are political reactions to Barzani’s aggressive rhetoric and KRG’s growing alignment with American interests. That means the issue of salaries has been turned into a political football, entangled in power struggles that ordinary people had no hand in creating.

So enough with the threats and punishment cards why must it always be the people who pay the price?

The suffering of the Kurdish people is hidden behind political curtains. The Federal Government must face its responsibilities and communicate honestly with the public. Shutting down the truth helps no one. People deserve transparency. Why can’t both governments Baghdad and Erbil finally sit down and find a fair, workable solution?

Erbil claims it has fulfilled all its obligations. Baghdad says it hasn’t. Meanwhile, innocent public servants go unpaid, carry the burden of this deadlock, and continue to suffer.

This political blame game must stop. The salary crisis now going on for over a decade has no excuse to continue. in brief, every time Barzani raises his voice, it’s the people who must brace themselves for another wave of poverty, crisis, and instability.