Before Sudani formed his government he struck a deal with the KDP, which dominates the administration in Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq. Under the Iraqi constitution, the Kurdish region is entitled to a portion of the national budget. A spokesman for the KRG, Jotiar Adil, said the "politically motivated" court was trying to spoil the deal between Erbil and Baghdad. A source with knowledge of the meetings said Erbil and Baghdad remained far apart on the hydrocarbon law. Additional reporting by Ali sultan in Sulaimaniya; Editing by Michael Georgy and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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