Public sector austerity measures
Iraqi federal court to hear case on KRG promotion freeze
BAGHDAD – The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court is set to hold its final session on Sunday to decide on a lawsuit regarding the halt on promotions of civil servants in the Kurdistan Region.
The court’s session on Feb. 25 was postponed for 20 days at the request of the KRG’s lawyers. Dilshad Mirani, a teacher and one of the plaintiffs in the promotion lawsuit, told 964media that the KRG’s lawyers had requested the postponement.
Mirani believed that the KRG wanted to take action on teachers and civil servants’ promotions before the court’s decision, stating that if the KRG independently proceeds with promotions, “it cannot be done by decree and force.” Otherwise, the stoppage of promotions is unconstitutional, and the Federal Supreme Court could overturn it.
Today, Wednesday, Dler Gharib, a member of the protesting teachers’ committee, mentioned to 964media that “the teachers and plaintiffs hope the KRG seizes the opportunity to issue a decision before the court’s upcoming session, which highly likely will result in a verdict. However, the KRG has yet to break its silence.”
The KRG has halted the promotion of civil since 2015 as an austerity servants due to a financial crisis triggered by falling oil prices and Baghdad’s refusal to transfer the Kurdistan Region’s share of the budget in response to Kurdistan’s independent oil sales.