Feyli Kurdish Political Alignment Highlights Complex Dynamics in Erbil–Baghdad Dispute
A Kurdish identity, a Shia political alignment, and a regional crisis revealing deeper divisions inside Iraq’s power structure March 22, 2026 — By Pshtiwan Faraj The ongoing political and fiscal tensions between Erbil and Baghdad are exposing deeper ethnic and sectarian dynamics within Iraq’s political landscape, with one of the most vocal parliamentary blocs opposing the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) led by a prominent Feyli Kurdish figure. The Asas coalition, headed by Mohsen al-Mandalawi , has emerged as one of the most critical voices in the Iraqi parliament against the KRG, particularly over disputes involving budget transfers, public sector salaries and oil revenue sharing. Sharp Criticism of KRG Fiscal Policy Members of the coalition have argued that the KRG’s salary payments have been effectively sustained through federal revenues derived largely from southern oil-producing regions such as Basra . They have also criticized the KRG for imposing conditions o...