Member of Parliament Bassem Al-Gharibawi said on Sunday that the Kurdistan Region is still selling oil outside the legal system, calling it a clear constitutional violation that affects how Iraq manages its national wealth.
Al-Gharibawi told dinaropinions.com that the region’s continued independent oil exports, without going through SOMO — Iraq’s official oil marketing company — is a direct breach of federal law.
He explained that this ongoing issue is one of the main reasons for the financial disputes between Baghdad and Erbil, which have dragged on for years.
The lawmaker stressed that the next parliament must take real action to end these violations by passing a long-awaited oil and gas law. Such a law, he said, should regulate production, exports, and the management of natural resources so that everything is done under the authority of the Iraqi state.
