The budget marathon begins today… fears of political contradictions and disagreements ravaging its clauses

The budget marathon begins today… fears of political contradictions and disagreements ravaging its clauses

4-5-2023

Information / special.
In an evening session, the House of Representatives opens its doors, in preparation for reading the “most important” law, which affects the livelihood of the Iraqi people with most of the paragraphs included in the draft draft, and the talk revolves around the “financial budget.”

Popular and political attention is directed towards the dome of Parliament. To know every little thing about the events of the first session to pass the federal budget bill for the year 2023 after its absence from the council hall for more than two years.

The first reading, although it may be a foregone conclusion and is concerned with defining the law and its basic provisions, but it may open the doors to wide disputes, and every “bearer and donor” objects to points that may affect their political and personal interests before they are popular.

Today, Wednesday, the media department of the House of Representatives set the date for the first session to read the budget law inside the parliament dome, amid political and popular anticipation. the importance of the law.

And the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved, on the 13th of last March, the largest financial budget in the history of the country, which exceeded 197 trillion and 828 billion Iraqi dinars (about 152.2 billion dollars), with a total deficit of 63 trillion Iraqi dinars, taking advantage of the rise in global oil prices, which constitutes More than 95% of the country’s financial revenues.

Various political forces express their fears about what they describe as “political delays” by some parties to obstruct passing the budget again, by linking it to laws within the ongoing bartering phenomenon in parliament between the various political blocs and forces.

Member of the House of Representatives, Ali Al-Bandawi, personified a major reason that might delay the passage of the budget law inside the parliament dome, and while he confirmed that the House of Representatives would devote itself to passing the law.

Al-Bindawi said in an interview with the information agency, “There is a major reason that may delay the passage of the financial budget bill, especially since it came in a tripartite form, i.e. a three-year budget.”

And he adds, “There is an opinion among some members of the House of Representatives, which is that the budget is approved year after year, while the other party supports that the vote on the budget be in its tripartite form.”

And the member of the House of Representatives explains: “It is not advisable to present the draft budget inside the parliament and that it be withdrawn or returned again to the government for technical reasons,” noting that “Parliament will devote itself to passing the budget and trying to resolve all differences in order to expedite a vote on it.”

In turn, the head of the Summit Center for Strategic Studies, Haider al-Moussawi, today, Wednesday, identified six points that may impede the passage of the 2023 budget, and while confirming the presence of political forces trying to disrupt it, he considered the first reading of the law “a foregone conclusion.”

Al-Moussawi states to the information agency, “The first reading of the budget bill inside the dome of parliament is a foregone conclusion, to define it and explain the main points in it, and then the second reading comes to discuss these points and object to them or approve them, and then the vote takes place.”

And he points out, “The most prominent sticking points are the legislation of the oil and gas law,” wondering, “Will the last law be linked with the approval of the budget?”

And he renews his question: “Is there a petrodollar law planned for the southern governorates? Considering that the debt has become too great for the federal government, as it is an electoral entitlement, especially since the representatives of the south stressed the need for a commitment to implement this law.”

The director of the Summit Center explains: “As for the other aspect that will witness discussion and perhaps there will be a fundamental change through two points; the first is the price of a barrel of oil specified in the budget, which is estimated at $70, especially since there is a decline in international oil prices, which will increase the currently written deficit.” .

And on the second point, Mousawi said: “The other dispute revolves around the image of the budget and its presentation in a three-year manner, that is, for three years. Will Parliament agree to pass it in this image, especially since it is possible for the situation to change during this period?”

As for the leave of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Muhammad al-Halbousi, he asked: “What is the main reason behind al-Halbousi’s leave for 15 days, and the budget was not presented during this period, in the parliament’s sessions,” pointing to “the presence of some political forces that are trying to obstruct and delay its passage.”

And he continues his speech, saying: “There are many visions and many disagreements that may prevent passing the budget or sending it to the government again to amend it.”

Deterministic moments, and important sessions await the passage of the federal budget law, especially since the efforts of the current government may converge and magnify during one or two sessions of the House of Representatives, or it may fall into the pitfalls of disagreements and constitute a “negative” point through a draft, the most prominent of which is said to be “very important.” The people are waiting for approval and resolving differences to complete the government process.

almaalomah.me