Latest news with #AmerAbduljabbar
Shafaq News
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraqi MPs reject Khor Abdullah deal
Shafaq News – Baghdad/Kuwait Over 100 Iraqi lawmakers have signed a petition rejecting the maritime agreement with Kuwait over Khor Abdullah, denouncing it as 'humiliating. During a press conference at the Council of Representatives on Saturday, MP Amer Abduljabbar urged Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to enforce the Federal Supreme Court ruling issued on September 4, 2023, which annulled the 2013 ratification law on constitutional grounds. Lawmakers also called for the verdict to be formally registered with the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization. In addition to enforcing the court decision, the petition called for fresh negotiations with Kuwait led by a team of maritime experts free from political influence. Abduljabbar said the talks should take place in Baghdad or a neutral third country, aligned with international norms. The Supreme Court had invalidated the agreement for violating Article 61/4 of the Iraqi Constitution, which requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority to approve international treaties. Both President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister al-Sudani later submitted separate appeals asking the court to reconsider its decision and restore the agreement. Signed in 2013, the Khor Abdullah agreement aimed to regulate maritime navigation between Iraq and Kuwait in the northern Gulf. Its annulment in 2023 sparked widespread political backlash, including resignations within Iraq's judiciary and renewed calls from Parliament to renegotiate the terms.
Shafaq News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq's judiciary shaken: Judges' resignation threatens elections
Shafaq News/ Iraq's judiciary is facing paralysis after the mass resignation of Federal Supreme Court judges deepened a constitutional crisis tied to the annulment of the Khor Abdullah maritime agreement with Kuwait—threatening the country's ability to certify elections and uphold legal continuity. The crisis erupted after nine judges, including all six permanent members, stepped down in protest over what insiders described as mounting political interference, casting doubt over the November 11 parliamentary elections, which cannot proceed without the court's formal ratification of results. 'The judiciary's ability to function is now in question,' a senior judicial official told Shafaq News, warning of broader repercussions across Iraq's legal and constitutional systems. Other insiders cited dissatisfaction with court administration as a contributing factor, further complicating efforts to stabilize the institution. Parliamentarian Amer Abduljabbar, head of the Al-Faw Zakho Gathering, criticized the government's role in the standoff, warning of external interference in the appeals submitted by the presidency and cabinet to reverse the court's ruling. 'It is deeply troubling that the President and Prime Minister are contesting a ruling issued by the court—not Parliament—despite their constitutional responsibilities,' Abduljabbar said, adding that 96 lawmakers have signed a petition urging the executive to withdraw its challenge. He further accused Kuwait of orchestrating diplomatic pressure through the Gulf Cooperation Council and Russia to undermine the decision. 'The timing and coordination raise serious concerns about foreign influence,' he noted. Basra-based organizations, including maritime unions and tribal leaders, issued a joint statement backing the judiciary. 'We reject any attempt to compromise Iraq's sovereignty over Khor Abdullah. The court must stand firm and fulfill its constitutional mandate,' the statement read. The Federal Supreme Court had ruled on September 4, 2023, that Law No. 42 of 2013—ratifying the Iraq-Kuwait maritime agreement—was unconstitutional for failing to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority, as required under Article 61/4 of the Iraqi constitution. While the presidency and cabinet maintain that the agreement merely organized maritime navigation and did not alter borders, legal experts argue the ruling reinforced Iraq's jurisdiction beyond border marker 162 and reaffirmed the need for proper legislative procedures.
