Parliamentary desire to pass the oil and gas law… Kurdish interests stand as an obstacle to the legislation
Parliamentary desire to pass the oil and gas law… Kurdish interests stand as an obstacle to the legislation
10-20-2026
Information/Report…
Parliamentary activity continues, with a strong desire among representatives from most provinces to enact the long-delayed and obstructed oil and gas law, which has been stalled for nearly two decades due to disagreements with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on certain clauses. However, the real issue revolves around the interests the Kurds seek to achieve through this law, something Baghdad cannot accept. Meanwhile, political figures assert that the KRG is unwilling to pass the law in order to ensure the continued sale of oil outside of regulations and legal frameworks, while keeping the revenues away from the federal Ministry of Finance.
Former MP Rasul Radhi told Al-Maalouma, “The Kurds in the region do not want the oil and gas law passed because they believe it is not in their interest, which is why they oppose it.”
He added, “The law would place the region under scrutiny regarding oil exports through SOMO (State Oil Marketing Organization), and the funds and revenues would go directly to the federal Ministry of Finance through the Federal Bank, thus restricting the Kurds and preventing them from selling outside of SOMO.”
He explained that “the Kurds have been obstructing and delaying the passage of the oil and gas law since 2014. It was presented to Parliament after fulfilling all the necessary conditions, but an agreement was not reached for a vote because the Kurds were not convinced of its merits. This is because they sell oil outside the legal framework and regulations, and approving the law would prevent them from engaging in direct sales outside of SOMO (State Oil Marketing Organization).”
For his part, MP Qaisar al-Jurani, a member of the Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, confirmed in statements reported by Al-Maalomah that “the oil and gas law has been presented to Parliament more than once but has not been voted on. However, this time the situation will be different due to strong determination.”
He added that “the law has not yet been sent by the government and has not been discussed in Parliament. We are waiting for it to be sent so that we can begin discussing its articles. It is also certain that the law requires political consensus before proceeding to a vote.”
He considered the oil and gas law to be of great importance in the coming phase, because, as is well known, the Kurdistan Region previously exported oil without Baghdad’s knowledge, leading to significant problems that continue to this day in this vital sector, which is a major contributor to the state budget.
He pointed out that the Kurdistan Region is demanding significant powers in the oil and gas law, in addition to its demands to be informed of oil export volumes and details of production and exploration in Iraq. These are all points that will be discussed and resolved in the law once it is passed.
In a related context, Firas al-Muslawi, spokesperson for the Reconstruction and Development parliamentary bloc, explained to Al-Maalomah that the oil and gas law is one of the most frequently postponed laws in the Iraqi parliament, most recently in the previous parliamentary session. The reasons for its non-approval stem from a number of political and technical issues, indicating that its passage is still far off.
He added that “one of the most prominent political reasons is the objections from the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdish blocs, despite the importance of the law and Iraq’s need for it, as it is one of the important pieces of legislation that can contribute to achieving social justice in the distribution of wealth among the governorates.”
Al-Muslawi added, “There is a need to address the outstanding points of contention between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government, and to reach understandings that will allow for the passage of the law in a way that guarantees the rights of all parties and resolves the issues related to the management of oil wealth.”
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