Early Wednesday Morning Iraq News 4-6-22

Al-Maliki And Al-Hakim Confirm The Formation Of A Government That Achieves "National Balance"

Shafaq News/ The Secretary-General of the Islamic Dawa Party, Nuri al-Maliki, and head of the Al-Hikma Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, stressed on Tuesday the importance of forming a government that achieves "national balance."

A statement by Al-Maliki's media office, received by Shafaq News Agency, said that "Al-Maliki received in his office this evening Al-Hakim and his accompanying delegation, and during the meeting, congratulations on the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan were exchanged, and the latest developments in the political situation and ongoing dialogues between the political forces were discussed."

The two sides stressed "the importance of continuing dialogues between the national forces in order to find a way out of the current political crisis and to form a government that achieves national balance and preserves the rights of the largest component and the rest of the social components to participate in the process of taking responsibility for building the country and preserving its stability."

Yesterday, Monday, the Secretary-General of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Qais Khazali and head of the Al-Hikma Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, stressed the importance of reaching solutions that preserve the "rights of the largest component" and speed up taking the necessary steps to secure the better reality that the Iraqi people deserve.

And on Sunday, a source in the coordination framework revealed efforts to gather all political forces, in order to resolve differences and overcome the state of political blockage that Iraq has witnessed since the announcement of the final results of the elections, and then form a government in which everyone participates.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, "The Shiite leaders of the framework continue to hold their deliberative meetings to reach proposals for solutions that end the Shiite-Shiite dispute, and preserve the component's right to power, and it is hoped that tomorrow a delegation from the framework will go to (Al-Hanana) the residence of the leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada Al-Sadr, in Najaf governorate, in a new attempt to break the stalemate in the relationship (the framework and the current) and revive political negotiations in the event that the forces of the framework obtained positive responses through their sensors to Sadr’s acceptance of their attempt.

The source added that the coordinating framework informed the Kurdish (Democratic) forces led by Masoud Barzani, and the (Union) led by Bafel Talabani, of the need to agree on a candidate for the presidency, away from the names put forward, "meaning that both the Democratic and the Union withdraw their candidates for the position and agree on a new candidate. Or naming new candidates to be voted on under the dome of Parliament.    LINK 

The 2010 Scenario Repeats Itself... Expectations To Delay The Formation Of The New Government For Several Months

Posted On2022-04-06  By Sotaliraq    Translation: Hamed Ahmed   Observers expected that the government formation crisis would continue for several months in a repetition of the 2010 elections scenario, noting that the coordination framework would not succeed in taking advantage of the deadline of the Sadrist movement's leader Muqtada al-Sadr to form a majority in light of other parties' adherence to the alliance with al-Sadr. According to a report by The National News website, translated by (Al-Mada),

That "political experts and analysts confirmed that the political stalemate that Iraq is going through now may extend for months after the decision of the Sadrist movement's leader Muqtada al-Sadr to stop any political activity related to the formation of the government and give him a period of 40 days for the competing party to form a new government."

The report added, "Al-Sadr's decision, which he took last week, came five months after the general elections and will give an opportunity to test his rivals within the Shiite coordination framework to negotiate the formation of a government that extends for a period of 40 days, starting on Saturday, the first day of Ramadan."

He pointed out that "Al-Sadr had won the October 10, 2021 elections by winning the largest number of seats by 73 seats in the 329-seat parliament, but his opponents in the coordinating framework posed a great challenge to his ambition to form a national majority government."

The report pointed out that "Al-Sadr made an alliance with strong winning parties, which included the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Sovereignty Alliance led by Parliament Speaker Muhammad Al-Halbousi, who pledged with Al-Sadr to form a national majority government and put an end to corruption and the quota system that was relied on in forming previous governments since the period after the fall of The previous regime in 2003, which guaranteed quotas and benefits for all the country’s different parties based on race and sect.”

He noted, "It is not yet clear who owns the largest bloc in Parliament, due to the vague loyalties and movements of some politicians and parties."

Laheeb Hegel, a political analyst with the International Crisis Group, said, "The Sadr movement has not pushed for any change in positions so far, but there may be a greater possibility to resume negotiations after Eid."

And Hegel added, "A similar scenario we saw in 2010 when it took about 10 months to form the government, and with ignoring the current constitutional timings, there is still time, but with other possible options that may be in holding early elections."

The report stressed, "The offer made by Al-Sadr came through a tweet to him, in which he also called on his followers not to conduct any activity or interference while his competitors are trying to form a government."

He stated, "Several months have passed, and the political scene in Iraq is still going through a dead end, with the Sadrist movement unable to form a majority government, while al-Sadr criticized his rivals by saying: They have obstructed the government formation process and are still obstructing it."

The report continues, "The parties also differed over the presidential candidate, a problem whose impact extends to the position of prime minister."

As for Hegel, she asserts, “This Sadr movement will compel the parties to the coordination framework to modify their demands to ensure that the Shiite house agrees on the next prime minister and his government.”

The report noted that “the Shiite coordination framework consists of the State of Law coalition led by former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, which won 33 seats, and the Fatah coalition led by Hadi al-Amiri, which includes representatives of the Popular Mobilization factions, which won only 17 seats, regressing from its performance in the 2018 elections, which achieved It has 45 seats.

Even if the framework could persuade the Sovereignty Alliance and the Kurdistan Democratic Party to form a government together among themselves, Hegel believes “they will not accept leaving al-Sadr outside it, and the same applies to al-Sadr, who will not form a government without the participation of other Shiite parties in it.”

In turn, Sajjad Jiyad, an Iraqi researcher and political analyst at Al-Jeel Foundation, said that "the position taken by Al-Sadr was expected and served as a way to relieve pressure from his movement and give an opportunity to others to assume the arduous responsibility of forming the government."

Jiyad continued, "The movement is not very dangerous as much as it is a tactic to relieve pressure and leave the space and opportunity for others to see how little support they will receive from other parties."

And he went on to say, "Iraq has at least another two-month deadline, until the political parties are able to agree on forming a government."

Jiyad added, "Al-Sadr knows very well that it is largely impossible to form a government without him. Therefore, the coordinating framework will try to form a government that includes Al-Sadr, and he has already taken a specific position against some parties."    LINK

To Put Forward His Initiative On The Political Blockage.. The Coordination Framework Holds A Meeting At Al-Amiri's House

04/05/2022   Baghdad / Al-Mawrid News   An informed source revealed, today, Tuesday, that a meeting of the coordination framework was held at the home of the head of the Al-Fateh Alliance, Hadi Al-Amiri, to present his initiative on the political blockage.

The source stated, "The coordination framework forces are currently holding a meeting at Hadi Al-Amiri's house to discuss political developments and the results of the movement of the last framework on the political forces, and to put forward the framework initiative on solving the political blockage crisis."

https://almawrid.news/contents/view/details?id=47962

The Goal Is Positions, Not The Country’s Interest..Al-Maliki’s Coalition Makes A Serious Accusation

article at link    https://baghdadtoday.news/ar/news/185517/A

Details Of The Meeting That Brought Together Nuri Al-Maliki And Ammar Al-Hakim

Political | 11:44 - 05/04/2022  Baghdad - Mawazine News, the Secretary-General of the Dawa Party, Nuri al-Maliki, discussed, on Tuesday, with the head of the Al-Hikma Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, the latest developments in the political situation, while they stressed the importance of continuing dialogues to form a government that preserves the rights of the largest component and the rest of the social components.

Al-Maliki's media office said in a statement that Mawazine News received a copy of it, "The Secretary-General of the Islamic Dawa Party, Nuri al-Maliki, received in his office this evening the head of the Wisdom Movement Ammar al-Hakim and his accompanying delegation."

The statement added, "During the meeting, congratulations were exchanged on the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan, and the latest developments in the political situation and ongoing dialogues between the political forces were discussed."

The two sides stressed, according to the statement, "the importance of continuing dialogues between the national forces in order to find a way out of the current political crisis, and to form a government that achieves national balance, and preserves the rights of the largest component and the rest of the social components to participate in the process of taking responsibility for building the country and preserving its stability." Ended 29/p. 87    https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=189408

A Meeting Of The Coordination Framework In Hadi Al-Amiri's Office

Political | 10:38 - 05/04/2022  Baghdad - Mawazine News   A political source said that a meeting of the coordination framework was held in the office of the head of the Al-Fateh Alliance Hadi Al-Amiri.

The source said, "The coordinating framework held a meeting in the office of the head of the Al-Fateh Alliance Hadi Al-Amiri to discuss the initiative for political breakthrough and solutions to the crisis." Ended 29 / p. 87 https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=189401

In Official Correspondence, Altercations Between The President And His Deputy Occupy Parliament

Posted On2022-04-06  By Sotaliraq   Baghdad / Osama Al-Bayati   An administrative dispute erupted, the first of its kind in Parliament, between Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi and his first deputy, Hakem al-Zamili, regarding the legitimacy of the term “presidency,” and while experts talk about the organizational issue being decided by the texts of the constitution, laws and decisions of the Federal Supreme Court, political circles expressed fears of the transmission of this dispute. To destabilize the alliance to save a homeland, which brings together the two parties.

Al-Halbousi said in a letter he addressed to the House of Representatives, a copy of which was received (al-Mada), that “the texts of the constitution, decisions of the Federal Court, the law of the House of Representatives and its formations all indicate the unconstitutionality of the term Presidency in the House of Representatives.”

Al-Halbousi added that the decision of the “Supreme Federal Court stipulated that the texts of the internal system of the House of Representatives should not go beyond what was stated in the constitution.”

He pointed out, "The term of the Presidency is abolished and is never dealt with," directed to "adopt the correspondences stipulated in the constitution, which indicated that the Council has a president and two deputies."

But Al-Zamili responded in a circular issued by his office to it (Al-Mada), that “the texts of the law of the House of Representatives and its formations, although they refer to the issuance of orders to be signed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, but they stipulate that the president and his two deputies must collectively agree on their issues before issuing them.”

Al-Zamili added that Article (9/twelfth/a) of the bylaw issued based on Article (51) of the Constitution to regulate the workflow in the House of Representatives has created the consensus of the Speaker and his two deputies regarding these orders.

He pointed out, "Article (35/First) of the Council's internal system stipulates that the first deputy chairman of the Council performs in his absence or if he is unable to perform these tasks, and he does not need to be authorized to perform his duties."

Al-Zamili also confirmed, in another circular, that “the authority to supervise and control all employees and workers in the General Secretariat of the House of Representatives is entrusted to the Presidency.”

The representative of the Sovereignty Alliance stated in a tweet that Al-Mada followed, that "Al-Zamili's conflict with Al-Halbousi and his insistence that he is part of a presidency and not a vice president threatens the Alliance to Save a Nation," calling on "the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr to intervene."

Al-Jubouri continued, "The description of the Presidency was never mentioned in the constitution, and the Federal Supreme Court confirmed that there is no such thing as the Presidency of the House of Representatives, but rather a president and two deputies."

In turn, the legal expert, Majid Majbas, said, in an interview with (Al-Mada), that “the Iraqi constitution, when it came to the work of the presidency of the House of Representatives, it organized the legal positions of the person of the Speaker and his two deputies,” pointing out that “the constitutional terminology deals with the Speaker and his two deputies.”

Mejbas added, "Using the term Presidency in official correspondence is not considered a constitutional violation and does not confiscate the competence of the Speaker of Parliament, and that it does not give additional powers to his two deputies."

He pointed out, "The Federal Supreme Court had a previous decision on the issue of interpreting the use of the Presidency, and it was stated that the Constitution stipulated three titles, namely, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, his first deputy and his second deputy, and that the Presidency does not exist in the Constitution." Mijbas explained, "The dispute over the exchange of administrative directives between Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi and his first deputy, Hakim al-Zamili, is within the context of correspondence and is related to legal and constitutional contexts, and does not reach the point of disagreement that he promotes on the media and social networking sites, but it is from the organization." administration between the president and his two deputies.

For his part, the other legal expert Haider Al-Sufi stated, in a statement to (Al-Mada), that “the articles of the internal system of the House of Representatives issued in 2007, as well as the decisions of the Federal Supreme Court. .

Al-Sufi continued, "Internal decisions related to executive and administrative affairs must be taken by a majority of the Presidency of the House of Representatives, which consists of the Speaker and his two deputies, even if the sessions of the Council are managed by the President."

He pointed out that “the powers entrusted to the parliament’s presidency, some of which are issued by decisive, basic and necessary decisions, are exercised by the Speaker and his two deputies, and voting on them is by a majority and does not require unanimity.”

The Federal Supreme Court had stipulated in two decisions, the first issued in 2010 and the second in the current year, that the House of Representatives has a president and two deputies, and there is no body for the presidency.    LINK

"The Breach Or The Burning"... An Independent Deputy Comments On The Constitutional Vacuum In Iraq

Shafaq News/ The independent Iraqi MP, Muhammad Anouz, commented, on Wednesday, on the state of constitutional vacuum that the country has entered, due to the expiry of the constitutional deadline and the failure to elect a new president of the republic, by saying, "The breach and the burning."

Anouz told Shafak News Agency, "In the event that a president of the republic is not elected according to the constitutional terms set by the Federal Court, the current president will continue his duties until a new president is elected."

He added that "political norms and consensus are the basis for addressing the political process in the country since the first parliamentary session until now," noting that "the decision of the Federal Court issued on the first of last March to Parliament, to reopen the nomination for the presidency for one time only, and therefore today is April 6 is the time limit for electing the President of the Republic.

And Anouz continued, "I do not expect anything to happen except that the process of electing the president of the republic will be delayed, but if the parties agree on a specific formula, they may set a date for the session to elect the president of the republic."

He pointed out that "as long as a parliamentary session has not yet been set to resolve the nomination of the President of the Republic, this means that there is a political crisis," adding, "In my own opinion, as a deputy and a legal person, I say (violating not burning), meaning that we violate a constitutional rule or principle for a few days or weeks is better than going to burn country or any negative expectations.

And Anouz added: "We have violated the constitution since its writing until today in various forms, and this breach was not the first, so the parties must reach an agreement to end this dispute, which is not strange on the Iraqi scene."

According to a political custom followed in Iraq since 2006, the Kurds occupy the position of the President of the Republic, the Sunnis head the parliament, and the Shiites head the government.

The election of the president of the republic requires that the quorum of the parliament session be two-thirds, i.e. more than 220 deputies, which was not achieved during the past two sessions due to the boycott of the coordination framework and its allies for the session.  LINK