Latest news with #ParliamentaryLegalCommittee
Shafaq News
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraqi MPs seek to end political quotas in Foreign Service
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqi lawmakers are pushing to amend the Foreign Service Law after a leaked list of ambassadorial nominees revealed the inclusion of relatives of top political figures. Raed al-Maliki of the Parliamentary Legal Committee told Shafaq News on Sunday that although the law permits up to 25% of ambassadors to come from outside the Foreign Ministry, the government has exceeded 50%, breaching legal limits and intent. He confirmed that a legislative proposal has been submitted to restrict ambassadorial appointments to career diplomats and ministry staff, aiming to eliminate political quotas entirely. MP Ali al-Saadi announced earlier today that over 100 lawmakers—including the Speaker and deputies—support repealing Article 9 (3) of the law, which currently allows external candidates for ambassadorial roles. On Saturday, the Parliament Presidency postponed the vote on the latest nomination roster to reassess candidate qualifications. The delay comes amid growing criticism over perceived nepotism and opaque selection practices, which lawmakers warn could damage Iraq's diplomatic integrity and global standing. Previous sessions have also drawn backlash for endorsing individuals with no foreign service experience, fueling claims that appointments are driven more by political loyalty than by professional credentials.
Shafaq News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraqi lawmaker: 100+ laws on shelf in Parliament
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq's Parliament has stalled more than 100 draft laws, a member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee revealed on Wednesday. Abdul Karim Abtan told Shafaq News that Parliament remains effectively paralyzed and unable to meet, predicting these bills — including the Federal Supreme Court Law, Oil and Gas legislation, the Mandatory Military Service bill, and the Civil Service framework — will likely be deferred to the next term if the stalemate continues. Earlier, Mukhtar al-Moussawi of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee blamed divisions within Iraq's ruling State Administration Coalition for blocking other key measures, including the Federal Budget Law and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Law.
Shafaq News
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
November 2025 Elections: Sunni factions oppose altering Electoral Law
Shafaq News/ Iraq's Sunni political factions are rejecting any amendments to the country's Electoral Law, a Member of the Iraqi Parliament announced on Sunday. Speaking to Shafaq News, lawmaker Talal Khudair al-Zobaie explained that the Parliamentary Legal Committee had already dismissed proposals to alter the electoral legislation, arguing that such changes would conflict with rulings issued by the Federal Supreme Court and contradict the Iraqi constitution. 'Elections will proceed as scheduled, under the current legal framework.' His comments followed an earlier disclosure by Ahmed al-Badri, a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Regions and Governorates, who revealed to our agency that a draft bill seeking to amend the law had been introduced and referred to the Legal Committee for review. Al-Badri also acknowledged deep divisions within the legislature, noting that while some political blocs support the proposed amendments, others are pushing to keep the law unchanged. Earlier this week, the Iraqi Cabinet approved November 11, 2025, as the official date for the country's next parliamentary elections. Imad Jameel, head of the media team at Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission, confirmed that the commission is fully prepared to proceed with the electoral process and holds no reservations about the proposed date.
Iraqi News
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Legal Committee: IMN Management Puts a Lot of Work Into Creating Positive and Purposeful Content
The Parliamentary Legal Committee commended the management of the Iraqi Media Network on Friday for its focus on producing works with purposeful and positive content, following the great success of the series "Al-Naqeeb," which aired during the holy month of Ramadan. Committee member Raed Hamdan Al-Maliki said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "We followed with great interest the success achieved by the Iraqi Media Network in producing and broadcasting the series "Al-Naqeeb," which immortalized and embodied the heroic deeds of the martyr Harith Al-Sudani, one of the most prominent martyrs and heroes of the Intelligence Directorate in confronting takfiri terrorism during the difficult years experienced by our beloved Iraq."
Shafaq News
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Sources: Iraq's CF rejects Election Law amendments amid tight timeline
Shafaq News/ The majority of Iraq's Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) factions have decided against amending the Election Law due to time constraints, sources within the bloc revealed on Thursday. 'Any amendments would need to be finalized by mid-April to allow the Independent High Electoral Commission sufficient time for implementation ahead of the general elections scheduled for October,' the sources told Shafaq News, adding that with less than two months remaining, such changes are deemed 'unrealistic.' The sources also noted a lack of consensus among key political groups, including Kurdish and Sunni parties, regarding potential amendments. They warned that attempts to push for changes could extend the lifespan of the government and parliament, leading to prolonged political disputes that could last at least six months. 'Such delays would disrupt parliamentary work, hinder the political process, and potentially undermine the government's legitimacy,' they explained. As for the proponents of amendments, the sources pointed out that they have sought to revise a clause allocating 20% of seats to candidates with the highest number of votes, regardless of party affiliation. 'The remaining 80% are distributed under the Sainte-Laguë method,' they clarified, describing this system as untested in Iraq. The Parliamentary Legal Committee confirmed, in February, that no official proposals or drafts to amend the law have been submitted, either from the government, parties, political blocs, or members of parliament. The proposed amendment to the Election Law and the shift to a multi-district system have recently stirred controversy in Iraq, especially as the elections approach. A rift has emerged, some experts suggest, within the CF—an alliance of all Shiite political groups and factions in Iraq, except the Sadrist Movement—over the proposed amendment. According to our sources, the debate has divided the CF into three factions: one fears the amendment could jeopardize political stability, another remains undecided, and the third strongly supports the change. Meanwhile, Kurdish forces reportedly maintain a neutral stance, while Sunni leaders deem the discussion premature.
