Parliamentarian: Al-Zaydi’s formation of the Supreme Council for Integrity in Iraq has no legal basis.
Parliamentarian: Al-Zaydi’s formation of the Supreme Council for Integrity in Iraq has no legal basis.
2026-05-31
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Sunday, MP Mohammed Jassim Al-Khafaji stated that Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s directive to form the Supreme Council for Integrity “has no legal basis”.
In a post on social media, MP Al-Khafaji attributed the illegality of this formation to several reasons, including that the Federal Integrity Commission and the Financial Control Bureau are two bodies that are subject to and linked to the Iraqi Parliament under Articles (102) and (103) of the Constitution. He stressed that these independent bodies aim in their work to monitor the work of the executive authority and to investigate cases of corruption and waste of public money. Therefore, they target ministries, ministers, and the Prime Minister in addition to his position, so how can he be the head of its council?
He stressed that “this is a clear constitutional and legal violation,” calling on the Cabinet to make serious efforts to strengthen these institutions by nominating competent individuals and sending them to the House of Representatives for a vote to confirm them, in order to prevent them from being blackmailed and threatened because they are acting in their capacity.
Al-Khafaji also urged the Council of Ministers to act in accordance with the Integrity and Illicit Gains Commission Law No. (30) of 2011 and the Financial Control Bureau Law No. (31) of 2011, instead of forming these unconstitutional and illegal councils, noting that the House of Representatives also has a very important task, which is to not allow the file of acting management of these important independent bodies to continue, as well as other executive positions.
This comes in conjunction with the directive issued yesterday, Saturday, by the current Iraqi Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, to form the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight and Recovery of Public Funds, headed by him and with the membership of the Head of the Financial Control Bureau and the Head of the Integrity Commission, to carry out the oversight follow-up of ministries, non-ministerial entities and governorates on essential and important issues, in order to stop the waste of public funds and recover state funds, with the outcome of the Council’s work to be sent to the judiciary.
Al-Zaydi also directed, according to a statement issued by his office, the need to verify the economic feasibility of projects and to have specialized subcommittees to audit government contracts in order to ensure their compliance with applicable laws and instructions.
shafaq.com
