After two decades of legislation, Iraq is without strategic laws, and Parliament is once again delaying them.
After two decades of legislation, Iraq is without strategic laws, and Parliament is once again delaying them.
7-7-2025
Information/Report..
More than two decades after the establishment of the parliamentary system in Iraq, many fundamental laws that constitute the foundations of building a modern state remain pending, plagued by political disputes or suspended for reasons related to factional interests.
Prominent among these stalled laws are the Federal Court Bill, the Oil and Gas Law, the Federal Civil Service Law, the Salary Scale Law, and other legislation that represents recurring popular demands and is part of declared government programs, but which has nevertheless remained languishing on parliamentary shelves.
Parliamentarians confirmed in separate statements to Al-Maalouma News Agency that despite repeated demands from political blocs to pass these laws, the reality on the ground indicates that they will be difficult to enact during the last legislative session, and will be postponed again until the next parliamentary session.
In this context, head of the Design Bloc, MP Amer Al-Fayez, said, “The House of Representatives will begin its sessions for the final legislative term in the middle of next week, but it is unlikely to be able to legislate major laws with the exception of the Popular Mobilization Forces law.”
He added in a statement to Al-Maalouma, “The remaining laws will be presented for first and second readings without passing, and will be postponed to the new session due to the political forces’ preoccupation with preparing for the upcoming elections.”
For his part, Member of Parliament Kazem Al-Shammari told Al-Maalouma News Agency that “the next legislative session will not differ significantly from the past two, as seriousness in passing laws will be absent, except in very rare cases.”
In turn, MP Mohammed Al-Ziyadi stated that “the draft Federal Court law remains a subject of considerable controversy among political forces, particularly regarding the inclusion of Sharia scholars in the court’s composition.”
He explained in his statement to Al-Maalouma that “passing this law during the final legislative session is extremely difficult, as it requires extensive meetings and discussions to reach an agreement, which is difficult to achieve given the parties’ preoccupation with the upcoming elections,” suggesting that “the law will likely be postponed until the next parliamentary session.”
It is worth noting that the third paragraph of the draft Federal Court Law is the most controversial, as it stipulates the “appointment of Islamic Sharia jurists” as members to monitor judicial work and provide legal opinions. These jurists are selected by the Sunni and Shiite endowments, which also submit their comments on the mechanism for selecting the court’s president and members.
Amid the absence of political consensus and narrow interests, essential and fateful laws remain postponed, adding to the legislative backlog that delays the establishment and reform of state institutions, at a time when Iraqis are looking forward to legislation that contributes to achieving justice, distributing wealth, and building strong, independent institutions.
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