Shakhawan Abdullah Hints at Kurdish Withdrawal from Baghdad Over Salary Dispute

ARK News.. Iraqi Deputy Speaker of Parliament Shakhawan Abdullah has signaled those Kurdish lawmakers may soon withdraw from Baghdad or boycott political participation, citing continued federal delays in sending salaries to public employees in the Kurdistan Region.

In a Facebook post published on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Abdullah stated that following extensive discussions with leaders of Kurdish parliamentary blocs, several unanimous decisions had been reached in response to what he described as a deepening crisis.

“We have repeatedly called for a decisive stance—either withdrawal or boycott of Baghdad,” Abdullah wrote. “And I believe the time has come.”

He revealed that a formal letter had been sent to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, accusing the federal government of violating the rights of Kurdistan Region employees by withholding salaries, a move he condemned as part of a broader policy of “starving citizens.”

Abdullah stressed that the Kurdish representatives demanded an immediate halt to such violations, the release of all pending salaries, and a long-term solution to financial disputes—“free from the use of salaries as political leverage against the people of the Kurdistan Region.”

He also urged Kurdish ministers and the President of Iraq to adopt a clear and unified stance on the matter, noting that while previous calls for withdrawal or boycott had been deferred in favor of dialogue, patience was wearing thin.

“If a decision is made to withdraw, boycott, or take any other step—I will execute it within an hour,” Abdullah concluded. “And I believe that moment has arrived.”

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