(Voice of Iraq) - 10-31-2006
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Barham Salih told the Middle East »« there are problems on the oil we defeat them and ensure that the interests of all
Experts stress the need of the government of the Kurdistan to Baghdad's decision to export oil
London : Meena Aribi
The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih in charge of the chairmanship of the Committee drafting the new Iraqi oil law, the existence of problems »« With regard to the draft law oil to the region of Kurdistan. He said in a telephone with the Middle East «» that «in spite of the current problems, I am confident that good will overcome these problems and ensure the development of the law will bring wealth and take advantage of private investments so as to ensure the interests of all parties ». The Deputy Prime Minister had refused to go into details of the difference between Baghdad and Erbil on the oil-Kurdi, but he stressed that «talks on the completion of the Iraqi oil would resume soon, and will participate in the talks by representatives of the Kurdistan». He added that it is expected to be made by the Commission on the formulation of the law of the Iraqi oil draft law to the Iraqi parliament before the end of the year, and it will determine the responsibility of the provinces and the central government on the oil industry and the rights of each party. However, the draft bill for oil in Kurdistan are ready which is expected to be approved soon. This may mean a law Territory law before the federal government.
For his part, A spokesman for the government of the Kurdistan Khalid Salih told the Middle East «» Kurdish government's determination to proceed with its application. He explained : «law in line with the Iraqi Constitution, which clearly recognized the superiority of the law of the Territory (on the federal government) in this matter». It is noteworthy that the draft law based on Article 115 of the Iraqi Constitution, which provides that «everything that was not provided for in terms of exclusivity to the federal authorities have the power to the regions and governorates irregular in the territory, The other joint powers between the federal government and the regions are given priority for the provincial and district irregular in the territory in the event of disagreement between them ». Khaled Saleh explained that the draft bill for oil in Kurdistan has not been formally presented to the Kurdish Parliament after, but fuller and Minister of Natural Resources Kurdish Robert Asti work on the draft law and presented to the Council of Ministers (of Kurdistan) and will be submitted to the Kurdish Parliament in a few days. This law prior to the submission of the central Baghdad government draft text of the Iraqi oil which is expected to clarify the final form of the distribution of oil wealth for the Iraqi people and the role of management in the territories, , which led to opposition in some quarters of Iraq.
In spite of the confidence shown by the clear Officials in the government of Kurdistan in the further development of oil fields in the region, However, the key point that may stand in the export of oil from the region and take advantage of its will is the question of transporting oil, especially since the oil pipeline belonging to the central government. It is expected to go a Kurdish delegation, headed by the Prime Minister Najirfan Kurdish Barzani, Baghdad in the coming days to resolve differences on the draft law Kurdish and consultation on the formulation of the law of Iraqi oil. And although the earlier draft of the Iraqi oil identified three months to resolve the differences between the central government and the government of Arbil on Kurdish law since the date of approval, However, the latest draft does not specify the period of time for that. And out in section 24 of the draft law that in the event of failure to reach agreement between the government of Iraq and the territorial government for an agreement on wealth-sharing, management of oil, the territorial government will run entirely on oil operations. including the control of the oil revenues. He explained and the former Iraqi Oil Minister Abdel Aziz Alotari, the current law applicable in Iraq is the law «» National Oil Company to return in 1964. He told Alotari «» Middle East that the law puts all the operations of oil at the disposal of the central government to return income to the central treasury. For the oil Kurdish and disagreements over the distribution of oil wealth. said Alotari, who was minister of oil in Iraqi law before the age of more than 30 years, «The issue depends on the legitimacy of such wealth, and international recognition of Kurdistan and the right to dispose of their oil ». As for the export of oil from the territory of Kurdistan. that must explain Alotari «transporting oil through the Iraqi oil pipeline, and even exported in small quantities through trucks must be cooperation with the neighboring countries ». She drew Valery Marcel competent «oil in the affairs of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in Britain» «point out that the bulk of the Iraqi government in its negotiations with the government of Kurdistan region are ways to transport oil». She explained that «transfer oil to be exported via the Iraqi territories (outside Kurdistan), or via Turkey (to the port of Ceyhan) Both sides have an interest in delaying the independence of the region, Therefore, it may hinder the export of oil, if not in agreement with them ». Marcel said that there are several points raised «» differences over Iraq's oil. She said that the first of those points is «on existing fields and fields future constitutional interpretation of the current and future fields is not clear ». She added : «possible to solve the problem of revenue-sharing mechanism, but the problem is, any income exactly would revert to any party ». For his part, the spokesman for the territorial government, Irbil that have been received so far «formal objection or even comment officially on the law», He pointed out that so far have been objections »« statements to the media. But that «His government had no right to object to the federal law, it comes in the Iraqi constitution ». He added Khalid Salih : «We want to avoid problems to resolve this issue through public debates». Not specified in the draft law after birth, which will be submitted to the government of the Kurdistan from the central government of the oil revenue in addition to the proceeds specific to the Iraqi government of the oil revenues in Kurdistan. Article 5 of the draft law that Kurdish «territorial government departments would share the oil with the Iraqi people, according to the Iraqi Constitution», without specifying percentages. The Supplement (a) that the distribution of the government's quota of Kurdish «all government revenues from Iraqi fields will be present» «» equitable proportion. Khaled Saleh explained that these ratios did not specify it must be debated in Parliament Kurdish descent to reach a final, while Marcel said that this must be clear in the law of Iraqi oil from Baghdad. However, the draft law determined that 10% of all income will be distributed annually to «every citizen in the Kurdistan region», in addition to the allocation of 7% of the fund «Astthmarllajial coming from the citizens of the Kurdistan region», in addition to the allocation of not less than 1.5 per cent of oil revenues to «citizens of the Kurdistan region who have suffered or are still suffering from difficulties because of the policies of the former Iraqi regime». The Deputy Minister of Finance, American Robert Kimmitt had told the Middle East «» earlier, The controversy between Baghdad and Erbil not about the distribution of wealth, but on the right in the award of contracts to international companies for exploration and extraction of oil in the Kurdistan region. He added : «There is general agreement on the distribution of income, But there are still some debate on the responsibility of the government and the province on contracts and any exploration and international companies to explore oil wells ». He believed that these discussions «comes in the context of the general debate on federalism in Iraq». The second part of Section VII of the draft law Kurdish, The Minister of the Kurdistan is responsible for the negotiation and approval of any oil agreements, and implementation. Article 80 of the draft that any agreements must be reviewed by the Iraqi government on oil in the Kurdistan region, and that «the introduction of such agreements under the control of the regional government». He Mohamed Ali Zinni. oil expert in the «Center for Global Energy Studies in London», the situation in Kurdistan unique, saying : «usually oil operations back to the central government, For example, oil in Britain, located in the North Sea, which dates back to Scotland, but with that oversees the central government in London on oil operations ». As for the taxes owed to the operations of the oil industry, Part V of item 49 of the draft law Kurdish, «taxes that the regional government will tax only» applied to the oil operations. The item refers to article 115 and the second part of Article 121 of the Iraqi Constitution, which will allow it. The article says that the recent «authority has the right to amend the territorial application of the law in the Federal Territory, in the case of a contradiction or conflict between federal law and the law of the Territory on the issue did not fall within the exclusive competence of the federal authorities ».
For his part, The Mahiga supported by the director of a company that de «or» Norwegian one of the most prominent foreign oil companies in the Kurdistan region, The company is continuing its work prospecting in the Territory, not afraid of the problems that may arise from the draft new law. He added in contact with the Middle East «» : «differences will not hinder our work, We have held with the government of the Kurdistan region corresponds to the Iraqi constitution, and these differences will be resolved in time », explaining : «We depend on what we are hearing from the Kurds». He pointed out that his company had contracts with the Iraqi Oil Ministry, «during the past year and a half we have not seen any indication from the ministry that there is resentment from our work in Kurdistan».
He endorsed, it is expected to start oil production in the first quarter of next year. after the discovery of oil in the fields of Taqtaq Hink talkie in Kurdistan. He added that de «» or to assess fields and expects to explore more oil wells by the end of the current year. Barham Salih expressed his wish to resolve any disagreements over Iraq's oil. He stressed that it is time to become Iraq's oil wealth in the blessing of the Division, There is a curse caused more problems for the country because of conflicts to control. He said : «We want to turn the oil wealth of rage, which was for the Iraqis to the tyranny of the previous decades to the wealth enjoyed by all Iraq».
Middle East