External forces are behind the delay in passing the oil and gas law, while internal efforts are underway to ensure its enactment.
External forces are behind the delay in passing the oil and gas law, while internal efforts are underway to ensure its enactment.
9-10-2026
Information/Report…
For nearly two decades, Iraqis have been waiting for the enactment of the oil and gas law. However, it has remained trapped in the shadows and forgotten corridors of parliament for all this time, with no one even bothering to dust off the file. Efforts in recent years to reintroduce the law and secure its passage have failed. Some political parties assert that external forces are behind the law’s obstruction. However, the current parliamentary session has witnessed renewed activity aimed at revisiting the issue and reaching a formula that guarantees the passage of the oil and gas law.
Former MP and Minister Zuhair al-Jalabi told Al-Maalouma, “The issue of annexing land from Nineveh Governorate to the Kurdistan Region is practically settled, especially since the administrative boundaries of the governorates are defined within the Ministry of Planning and cannot be altered except by a decision from the Council of Representatives through a vote on a new administrative map of the governorates.”
He added, “Despite talk of obstacles related to shared lands and the ownership of oil fields, whether by Baghdad or the region, the problem of the oil and gas law is much larger because many countries are working to prevent the passage of such a law.”
He explained that “the countries seeking to prevent the passage of the law benefit from oil smuggling, the rampant corruption within the relevant ministry, and the chaos associated with this issue. Some countries are striving to perpetuate this scenario to ensure their interests are served.”
For his part, MP Amer Al-Fayez, a leader in the Coordination Framework and head of the “Design” Alliance, revealed to Al-Maalomah that “the meeting of the Coordination Framework leaders demanded that the government immediately submit the important laws that were carried over from previous sessions, which are considered fundamental pillars for regulating the work of the Iraqi state.”
He added that “the most prominent of these laws are the Popular Mobilization Forces Law, the Oil and Gas Law, and the Federal Council Law,” stressing “the necessity of submitting them to Parliament as quickly as possible to begin their ratification.”
In a related development, MP Adel Al-Mahalawi confirmed to Al-Maalomah that there is political activity and initial understandings between political forces and the Prime Minister aimed at creating the necessary atmosphere for passing the oil and gas law, which is considered one of the most important pieces of legislation that has been long awaited.
He added that “the law represents a fundamental step towards regulating the management of oil wealth and defining the relationship between the federal government, the Kurdistan Region, and the oil-producing governorates in a way that guarantees the preservation of rights and achieves fairness in the distribution of revenues.”
He indicated that “the next stage may witness further dialogues and agreements between the political parties to reach a final version that is acceptable to all concerned parties, in preparation for presenting the law to the Council of Representatives for a vote.”
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