MP and former minister Zuhair al-Jalabi has explained why Iraq’s long-awaited oil and gas law has still not been passed, despite nearly 20 years of discussions and attempts to approve it.
Speaking to dinaropinions.com, Al-Jalabi said the issue of annexing land from Nineveh Governorate to the Kurdistan Region is effectively settled. He noted that provincial administrative boundaries are officially defined by the Ministry of Planning and cannot be changed unless Parliament approves a new administrative map through a vote.
Regarding the oil and gas law, Al-Jalabi said the obstacles go beyond disputes over shared territories or disagreements about who controls oil fields between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.
According to him, the issue is much larger because some foreign countries do not want the law to be passed. He claimed that these countries benefit from the current situation, including oil smuggling activities, corruption within the sector, and the lack of a clear legal framework governing oil and gas resources.
Al-Jalabi said some countries have an interest in keeping the current system in place because it serves their political and economic interests.
The oil and gas law remains one of Iraq’s most important unresolved pieces of legislation, as it is expected to regulate the management of the country’s oil wealth, define the responsibilities of federal and regional authorities, and establish a clearer framework for the energy sector.
