Institutional Governance and Media Administration Between Baghdad and Erbil

Reports 06:12 PM - 2026-05-17

KRG and Iraqi Government's logos.

Amid the political complexities in Baghdad and the successive crises facing the Kurdistan Region, a fundamental question continues to emerge: are the leaderships in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region moving towards establishing the foundations of democratic governance and institutional administration?

This report focuses specifically on the management of official government media in both Baghdad and Erbil, presenting a comparative overview of how official digital platforms are transferred following the formation of new governments. The issue is regarded as an important indicator of progress towards peaceful and institutional transitions of power.

Iraqi Presidency and Regional Presidency Media Offices: Contrasting Institutional Approaches

Following the assumption of office by Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, the transfer of responsibilities within the Presidential Media Office proceeded smoothly. The complete archive and records of the former president remained intact on the official website, enabling the Presidency to continue operating from the Presidential Palace as a natural institutional extension of the state.

In contrast, the Kurdistan Region has experienced a markedly different reality. Following the appointment of the current President of the Kurdistan Region in 2019, neither the official website nor the Presidency building was transferred in a fully institutional manner. As a continuation of this approach, the current website of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region contains no archive or news relating to the former president.

Since the establishment of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region in 2005, this reflects a decline in institutional and democratic standards, with official bodies increasingly lacking continuity and sustainable institutional practices.

Government Media: Institutional Continuity in Baghdad Versus Personalisation in Erbil

Baghdad has recently demonstrated a model of peaceful and institutional transfer of power through the handover of official positions within the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as the Ministries of Environment and Oil, without altering or removing previous official content — an approach yet to be adopted in the Kurdistan Region.

Following the approval of the new Iraqi cabinet by the parliament and the commencement of its duties, official digital platforms continued operating in a professional and institutional manner. The media office of the new Prime Minister published coverage of the handover ceremony while preserving the previous archive in full.

The platform subsequently published details of the first cabinet session and the new Prime Minister’s inaugural address, maintaining the website’s role as a state institution rather than a platform tied to individuals. The website also retained and highlighted the closing address of the former prime minister, including its key outcomes and achievements.

Similarly, the official websites of the Iraqi Ministries of Environment and Oil were transferred to the new ministers without removing or altering previously published material, reflecting continuity in institutional administration.

In the Kurdistan Region, however, the institutional practices have weakened further since the formation of the ninth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The previous government website was gradually marginalised, archived in an obscure section, and later disappeared entirely.

At the same time, the Department of Media and Information and the official website of the KRG have increasingly become platforms centred solely on the current prime minister, rather than serving as broad institutional outlets representing the government as a whole.

Concerns Over the Absence of Institutional Governance

Political observers believe the current situation in the Kurdistan Region represents a departure from democratic governance and the principle of state institutions. They argue that official media platforms and government websites have become increasingly politicised and personalised, lacking independent institutional standards.

According to these observers, the imbalance in official media management reflects broader shortcomings in governance within the Kurdistan Region — an issue the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan says it is working to address through reforms aimed at strengthening institutional governance and democratic accountability.



PUKMEDIA