Al-Maliki warns of a “grave danger” from postponing the elections: By voting, we close the doors to dictatorship and sectarianism.

State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki warned Sunday evening of a “grave danger” if parliamentary elections are not held on schedule. While asserting that ballot boxes will close the door to dictatorship, racism, sectarianism, and marginalization, he noted that voters’ votes will determine whether the current government remains in power or is replaced.

In a speech at the “Youth and Elections” conference, sponsored by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Ahmed Al-Mubarqa, and monitored by Shafaq News Agency, Al-Maliki said, “The country’s progress requires renewal and development for a strong, prosperous Iraq, and renewal in the world of youth is a foundation that should be embraced by everyone.”

He added, “Elections are one of the mechanisms for renewal and development, and democracy and the political process are meaningless without elections.” He emphasized that “the resistance was strong from us and from other political forces and parties, who insisted on holding the elections on the scheduled date.”

He stressed that “elections are the gateway through which the government and parliament are formed and the process of enacting laws regulating the political and social process begins,” noting that “there is nothing in the constitution called an emergency or caretaker government.”

Al-Maliki warned, “Everyone must realize the grave danger if the elections are not held on the scheduled date. He also emphasized the importance of making good choices in the elections and selecting those who deserve to represent the people.”

He considered that “through elections, we will close the doors to dictatorship, racism, and sectarianism from reaching power and the state’s institutions. The issue of exclusion and marginalization of the various components will end, and everyone will receive their due based on what they have contributed in the field. Likewise, through elections, we will eliminate the evil tide of killing and terrorism.”

Al-Maliki concluded his speech by saying, “The government’s survival or change is achieved through elections and parliament, building a successful political process and a developed state.” He emphasized that “Iraq deserves to be among the most developed and advanced countries, given its potential and historical legacy.”

Shafaq.com

A hint of a return to the elections… A source close to him said: This is what al-Sadr intended in his latest message.

A source close to Shiite National Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr revealed on Sunday the contents of the movement’s leader’s message regarding boycotting the parliamentary elections, hinting at a return to participation.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, “Al-Sadr and the Sadrists emphasize that the boycott here is a peaceful and moral pressure tool to force everyone to review the alternative path to blind participation, which is comprehensive reform, a real change of faces and policies, and the elimination of the loose weapons that have been confiscated by the state.”

He added, “Al-Sadr emphasized in his message and clarification a very important matter: that he and his supporters are soldiers for religion and nation, both inside and outside the process, and that they will only give their votes to those who carry a national program without allegiance or subservience. If that happens, he will reconsider participating. Otherwise, boycotting is a legitimate right and a national duty.”

He explained that “boycotting the upcoming elections is a principled position and a clear message of reform. The Sadrists’ position is that we have tried working within the political process, but corruption, subservience, and a lack of attention to the religious authority’s calls have caused all efforts to be wasted amid accusations of treason and exclusion. Hence the decision to boycott.”

Saleh Mohammed al-Iraqi, a close associate of Shiite National Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr, revealed on Sunday that al-Sadr is demanding comprehensive reform and the replacement of senior officials in power in exchange for ending his boycott of the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for November.

Al-Iraqi said in a post on social media, Facebook, quoting Al-Sadr, that “the real alternative to the boycott is to replace the current faces (stripped and removed), so that the doors of reform may open and the doors of dependency and prostration to the foolish may be closed, and the people may be safe from loose weapons, and from the suppression of voices, and the people may be rid of polluted water, and Iraq’s lost share of water and electricity may be restored, and the borders opened to terrorism and smuggling, and the imposition of foreign agendas that have weakened the sect and the nation.”

In March, al-Sadr announced his non-participation in the upcoming elections, citing “corruption and corrupt people,” while stating that Iraq was “experiencing its last gasps.”

In June 2022, al-Sadr decided to withdraw from the political process in Iraq and not participate in any upcoming elections, so as not to associate himself with “corrupt” politicians. This followed his call for the resignation of all 73 of his members of parliament.

The Sadrist bloc received the highest number of votes in the early parliamentary elections held in October 2021, but the movement’s leader’s efforts to form a new federal government failed due to the Shiite Coordination Framework’s opposition to the bloc’s formation. The bloc obtained a fatwa from the Federal Court, which uses the so-called blocking third, to prevent the session to elect a president, paving the way for the appointment of a prime minister.

The tripartite alliance between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by Masoud Barzani, the Sovereignty Alliance, led by Khamis al-Khanjar, and the Sadrist Movement, led by Muqtada al-Sadr, has unraveled following the resignation of Sadrist bloc representatives and the movement’s withdrawal from the political process at al-Sadr’s behest.

Shafaq.com

Iraqi Parliament: SOMO has agreed with Türkiye to resume Kurdistan Region oil exports.

Shakhwan Abdullah, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, stated on Sunday that the national oil company SOMO had reached an agreement with the Turkish side to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan Region after a halt that lasted more than two years.

In a statement to reporters today, Abdullah said that the regional government had reached an agreement with the federal government on oil and non-oil revenues, adding that SOMO had also agreed with Turkish companies to resume Kurdistan’s oil exports.

Abdullah continued by saying that what remains is for the Iraqi government to legally and morally abide by these agreements and begin, in the coming days, disbursing the salaries of July and August to public sector employees and workers in the Kurdistan Region.

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani confirmed on Saturday that oil companies operating in the region and the federal government had reached a preliminary understanding regarding financial dues for crude oil extraction costs, in preparation for a final agreement to resume the region’s oil exports via the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

“Our discussions with the federal government regarding the budget and the provision of monthly salaries for employees in the Kurdistan Region are ongoing,” Masrour Barzani said in a speech he delivered during the inauguration ceremony of the Shekhan-Lalesh road in Duhok Governorate. He added, “There are no obstacles from us, but obstacles and pretexts are created by others in the process of understandings, and we are always trying to remove them and provide financial dues to the citizens of Kurdistan.”

He added, “In recent discussions between us and Baghdad, as I was told, there is some understanding between the oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region and the federal government to reach solutions to the contentious issues between the two sides.” He considered this understanding “an important step towards reaching a final agreement to resume oil exports.”

Masrour Barzani continued, “I hope this agreement will be realistic and acceptable to all, and that the federal government will commit to the rights of Kurdistan’s citizens.” He emphasized the importance of not subjecting salaries to bargaining and not making them a daily headline in the media.

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in early September that the regional government had no issues impeding the resumption of the region’s oil exports, stressing that what remained was to resolve the dispute between oil companies operating in Kurdistan and the federal government on the matter.

Meanwhile, Ali Nizar, Director of the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), confirmed that the resumption of Kurdistan Region oil exports depends on the producing companies.

Nizar told Shafaq News Agency, “The agreement between the federal Ministry of Oil, the Oil Marketing Company, and the Ministry of Natural Resources in the Kurdistan Region established strict mechanisms for implementing the budget law.”

He added, “We are optimistic about the agreement and the mechanisms, and we hope to proceed with pumping oil from the Kurdistan Region via the Turkish-Ceyhan pipeline, as this is in Iraq’s best interest and will boost its financial revenues.”

He stressed that “the timing of resuming oil exports depends on the oil-producing companies.”

Reuters reported on Friday that the Iraqi government had given “in principle” approval to a plan to resume oil exports via the pipeline from the Kurdistan Region to Türkiye.

The agency quoted sources familiar with the talks as saying that “Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest oil producer, has given preliminary approval to a plan to resume oil exports via pipeline from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region via Turkey, after delays in the hoped-for resumption.”

The agreement between the Iraqi federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and international oil companies could add at least 230,000 barrels per day of new supplies, as OPEC producers increase production to regain market share.

Turkey halted flows on the pipeline, which transports oil from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, in March 2023 after an arbitration court ordered it to pay approximately $1.5 billion in compensation to Iraq for transporting oil without Baghdad’s approval. Ankara refused to pay the fine at the time and demanded that Erbil pay it.

The pipeline closure halted Iraqi oil exports by approximately 500,000 barrels per day. The resumption of oil flows from Kurdistan may mitigate some of the impact on markets due to reduced shipments from Iraq, the main source of crude.

Iraq had been exporting between 400,000 and 500,000 barrels per day from northern fields, including the Kurdistan Region, via the now-defunct pipeline. Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani said earlier this month that Iraq plans to transport at least 300,000 barrels per day of crude oil once operations resume. He added that the Iraqi government has also begun a formal process to persuade the regional government to transfer the oil to the Federal Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO).

Türkiye has repeatedly said that the pipeline is operational and that it is up to Iraq to resume flows, and the United States has also expressed a strong desire to see oil flow through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.

Shafaq.com

Iraq: Billions of dollars drop in trade balance, oil derivative exports rise

The Iraq Future Foundation for Economic Studies and Consultations reported on Sunday that the country’s trade balance declined to a surplus of approximately $6 billion during the first half of this year, compared to last year.

The institution stated in a report published today that Iraq’s trade balance declined by 33% in the first half of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024, reaching a surplus of $11.7 billion, compared to $17.6 billion in the first half of 2024.

The head of the institution, economic expert Manar Al-Obaidi, attributed this decline to a 7% decline in the value of total exports, with oil exports declining by 11%, falling from $48.7 billion to $43.3 billion.

He pointed out that petroleum derivatives exports increased by 88% to reach $2.1 billion, up from $1.15 billion during the same period in 2024. Non-oil exports also increased by 68%, rising from $1.14 billion to $1.9 billion.

Despite these increases, the decline in the value of exports affected total exports. Meanwhile, the value of imports increased by 7%, rising from $33.3 billion in the first half of 2024 to $35.7 billion in the first half of 2025, according to the report.

Al-Obaidi continued, saying: “With the rise in the value of imports and the decline in the value of exports, the trade balance has declined by this significant percentage. Continued decline in oil prices could lead to a further decline in the value of exports, accompanied by an increase in imports, which could lead to a shift from a surplus in Iraq’s favor to a budget deficit.”

Shafaq.com

Iraq is about to open one of the largest renewable energy projects in the region.

Iraqi Electricity Minister Ziyad Ali Fadhil announced on Sunday that the ministry will soon launch the “Shams Basra” clean energy project.

This came in a speech he delivered during the inauguration of the first phase of the Karbala Solar Power Plant project, the first of its kind in Iraq, in the presence of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

In his speech delivered via video link during the project’s inauguration, the minister said, “We have inaugurated the first phase of the project with 39,000 solar panels.” He added, “We will continue working until we install 500,000 panels with a design capacity of 525 megawatts in Karbala and Babylon, which will enhance grid stability, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce harmful emissions.”

In the south, the minister noted that work is progressing on the “Shams Basra” project, with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts and two million solar panels, making it one of the largest renewable energy projects in the region. The first phase will open soon.

For his part, the Prime Minister said in a speech that solar energy projects are a key option for the current and future phases, and that it is essential to equip the housing units to be distributed among the educational family with solar energy, as is the case with other housing projects.

He pointed out that practical measures have been taken, starting with the agreement with the French company Total, which is currently being implemented. He also noted that the company implementing the project has achieved its position as the first company to produce solar electricity to be integrated into the national grid.

Al-Sudani explained that Iraq is witnessing, for the first time, the production of electrical energy from a solar station, which is currently producing (22) megawatts and will reach (75) megawatts within two months, and that the Ministry of Electricity is proceeding with the strategy of solar energy projects.

He continued by saying that new projects in the field of renewable, clean, and sustainable energy will soon see the light of day, emphasizing the need to ensure harmony with reducing carbon emissions and preserving the environment, which is experiencing negative impacts due to projects that rely on outdated production patterns.

Shafaq.com

A close associate of al-Sadr: The real alternative to boycotting the elections is to replace the current faces “without a trace”

Saleh Mohammed al-Iraqi, a close associate of Shiite National Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr, revealed on Sunday that al-Sadr is demanding comprehensive reform and the replacement of senior officials in power in exchange for ending his boycott of the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for November.

Al-Iraqi said in a post on social media, Facebook, quoting Al-Sadr, that “the real alternative to the boycott is to replace the current faces (stripped and removed), so that the doors of reform may open and the doors of dependency and prostration to the foolish may be closed, and the people may be safe from loose weapons, and from the suppression of voices, and the people may be rid of polluted water, and Iraq’s lost share of water and electricity may be restored, and the borders opened to terrorism and smuggling, and the imposition of foreign agendas that have weakened the sect and the nation.”

He added, “The alternative to the boycott is comprehensive reform, changing faces, and even changing the ‘deaf ears’ to save Iraq through political and legal means without foreign interference. But how can they do that?”

Shafaq.com

SOMO reveals increase in revenues from oil exports

The State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) announced on Sunday that it had achieved an increase in its revenues after the voluntary cut was ended. The company’s general manager, Ali Nizar Al-Shatri, told the official news agency that “Iraq has achieved an increase in its oil exports after the voluntary cut was gradually ended by the OPEC and allied countries.”

He also explained that “Iraq has been able to increase its oil production, which has enabled it to raise the volume of its exports, based on a study of the oil market balance by OPEC and non-OPEC experts, who approved the possibility of making this increase.”

He added, “Oil exports are the main source of funding for the general budget, with current prices ranging between $65 and $68 per barrel, and an annual average of approximately $70,” adding, “With an increase in production estimated at approximately 200,000 barrels per day – equivalent to approximately 6,000,000 barrels per month – this will contribute to additional revenues estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars annually, as additional revenues that can be invested to support budget requirements.”

He pointed out that “the Oil Marketing Company, through commercial agreements and profit-sharing projects with foreign companies, is working to generate greater revenues from the sale of conventional oil through ports. This is achieved by reselling a portion of the barrels on global markets when commercial opportunities arise or when certain companies demand it, thus generating additional profits above the official price.”

He also explained that “the company has also activated a mechanism for selling spot shipments, which has enabled the sale of a number of barrels at price premiums commensurate with the volume of demand and opportunities available in the global oil market.”

Burathanews.com

Electoral Commission: “Vote buying is an electoral crime, and any candidate who commits it will be referred to the judiciary.”

The Independent High Electoral Commission confirmed on Sunday that the punishment of the candidate who “buys votes” may occur even after his victory if the crime is proven, while indicating that some candidates deceive voters by intimidating them by saying that they “are able to know where their votes went and who they voted for.” The commission confirmed that “even it cannot know who the owner of the vote is and for whom he voted.” Assistant media spokesman for the Electoral Commission, Nibras Abu Souda, stated that “buying votes is an electoral crime and not a regulatory violation, and the candidate who practices it will be referred to the competent judiciary for investigation and trial. If vote buying is proven, the criminal penalties stipulated in the law will be applied and the candidate will be disqualified from running.”

She explained that, “If a candidate ran in the elections and obtained purchased votes, then upon proof of the crime, those votes will be withdrawn and deemed as if they had never been awarded to him. If the results are ratified and the accused is transferred to Parliament, the accountability mechanisms and dealing with him will remain subject to the provisions of parliamentary law and applicable legislative procedures, and may require subsequent measures taken by the competent authorities.”

She stressed that “the biometric card is a secure card, subject to strict security and protection measures implemented by the Commission at all levels of registration and data, and it is (practically) impossible for another person to use the biometric card because it is linked to its original owner and the biometric measurements stored in it,” according to the government newspaper.

She also explained that “the process of offering money to a voter in exchange for their biometric card does not give the candidate the ability to vote on behalf of the cardholder. Rather, it essentially represents bribery, bribery, or illegitimate influence over the voter’s will by enticing them with money.”

She also pointed out that “the voting process is strictly confidential, and no one, whether an employee of the commission or outside it, can ascertain the will of the voter or know which candidate their vote went to,” explaining that “this process is technically protected, as there is no indication on the ballot paper of the voter, nor does their name, electoral number, or any other indication that could identify them appear. Therefore, it is impossible to know where the voter’s vote went or for whom they voted.”

The spokesperson concluded by saying, “We mention the above because some candidates are trying to mislead voters by claiming that ‘the commission can determine their vote by examining the ballot paper.’ This is false and impossible, and is merely an attempt to intimidate and influence voters.”

Burathanews.com

Iraqi traders discuss developing import and export at the Tradex Summit in Erbil.

The Kurdistan Region Importers and Exporters Union held the Tradex Summit in Erbil Governorate, with the participation of a large number of businessmen, investors, and experts in the field of trade and economics.

The summit, held today, Saturday, aims to develop the digital trade system, strengthen the position of the local market, and connect it to regional and international markets.

A Shafaq News Agency correspondent reported that the summit provided an important platform for discussing the latest innovations and technological solutions in the field of trade, as well as reviewing successful experiences in digital transformation, which contributes to raising the efficiency of the private sector and opening new horizons for investors.

He added that the summit’s activities included extensive discussions on ways to enhance the business environment in the Kurdistan Region and expand trade cooperation networks, thus consolidating the region’s presence on the global economic map and giving it a greater role in keeping pace with rapid economic developments.

Shafaq.com

US report: Iraq needs $95 oil price to balance its budget

S&P Global Commodity Insights revealed on Saturday that Iraq needs an oil price of $92 per barrel to balance its budget this year.

According to the agency’s report on the oil prices needed by the Middle East and North Africa region to balance its national budgets for 2025, which was reviewed by Shafaq News Agency, “Iraq needs an average price of $95 per barrel to balance its national budget.”

He added , “The highest average oil price required by oil-producing countries to balance their national budgets was Iran’s, at $122 per barrel, followed by Bahrain at $107 per barrel, and then Algeria at $93 per barrel.”

She continued, “Kuwait needs an average price of $89 per barrel, followed by Oman at $80, Saudi Arabia at $77, Qatar at $64, and the UAE is the lowest-priced country with an average price of $47.”

According to the agency, “Iraq is selling heavy crude oil at $66 and medium crude oil at $68.”

Shafaq.com