Two articles of the bill have been approved so far, the NRT reported.

Kurdish blocs boycotted the session in protest of the reduction happened to the budget share of the Kurdistan Region.

Member of the Iraqi Parliament, Abdulqadir Mohammed told NRT that the three presidencies, President Fuad Masum, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri are expected to hold a meeting to discuss the budget on Thursday.

Kurds have said they will boycott parliament’s sessions on budget until the Kurds’ rights are fulfilled in the bill.

On January 29, Kurdish and Sunni lawmakers boycotted a session on the 2018 federal budget bill. Kurdish factions also boycotted another session on the budget legislation the day earlier.

Iraq’s Council of Ministers completed and circulated the Iraqi federal 2018 budget bill in October. Kurds are concerned over the draft bill, saying there is an imbalance in the distribution of the budget over all of the Iraqi provinces.

In early November 2017, the KRG Council of Ministers challenged the bill on a number of points.

Of specific concern is that Kurdistan Region’s share in the proposal has been cut to 12.67 percent. Kurdish lawmakers call for the region’s percent of the federal budget to remain at 17% as previously set based on populations estimates in 2005.

Reporter’s code: 50101