“News Tidbits From TNT” Monday 3-30-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: The Iraqi parliament sets April 11 as the date for holding a session to elect the president of the republic.
The Iraqi parliament's presidency announced on Monday that April 11th has been set as the date for a session to elect the president of the republic.
The Presidency of the Council stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that it “held an expanded meeting with the heads of the parliamentary blocs to discuss a number of important files related to the work of the Council, most notably the discussion of a number of important laws that will be included on the agendas of the Council’s sessions during the coming period, as well as completing the vote on the Council’s standing committees.”
She added: "The meeting also discussed at length the issue of electing the President of the Republic, and the importance of proceeding with this constitutional entitlement and ending the political deadlock in light of the security and economic conditions that the country is suffering from."
According to the statement, the Speaker of Parliament decided to "set Saturday, April 11, as the date for holding a session to elect the President of the Republic," calling on the leaders of the political blocs to "assume their responsibilities in completing the constitutional requirements and forming a government capable of facing the challenges."
The Presidency of the House of Representatives held a consultative meeting yesterday, Sunday, in which it discussed the ongoing preparations to set a date for a session to elect the new President of the Republic of Iraq during this week in order to end the current political deadlock and proceed with the formation of the next government.
This comes as 220 members of the Iraqi parliament submitted a list of their names and signatures to the parliament's leadership, demanding that a session be held next Monday to elect the president of the republic.
The coordinating framework that brings together the ruling Shiite political forces in Iraq agreed to postpone deciding on a prime ministerial candidate until after the end of the ongoing regional war between the United States and Israel against Iran, according to a political source who spoke to Shafaq News Agency earlier.
The Coordination Framework had officially nominated Maliki on January 24, a move that opened the door to negotiations to form the new government, but the process faltered as disagreements continued over the election of the President of the Republic, the constitutional entitlement that precedes assigning the candidate of the largest bloc to form the government. link
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Tishwash: Economic expert: A Hong Kong company has submitted a proposal to Iraq to extend two oil pipelines towards Jordan and Turkey.
Economic expert Nabil Al-Marsoumi revealed that Iraq has received an offer to construct oil pipelines from the Hong Kong-based company Heritage Funds LPF.
Al-Marsoumi stated in a Facebook post, which was monitored by Iraq Observer, that this company possesses extensive experience in financing government projects and is prepared to implement and finance the construction of an oil and gas pipeline project using an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) model based on barter contracts with a share of crude oil.
He explained that the company submitted its offer to the Iraqi Ministry of Oil to implement the following two projects:
1. A project extending from the port of Basra to the city of Haditha, and from Haditha to Aqaba in Jordan or the port of Latakia on the Mediterranean Sea in Syria.
2. A pipeline extending from the port of Basra to the Turkish border.
Al-Marsoumi did not specify when this offer was submitted or whether it was related to the current crisis.
Iraqi oil production halted after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing war, and the strait is the main outlet for Iraqi oil exports.
While Iraq exported around four million barrels per day before the war, its exports have now plummeted to just 200,000 barrels per day via the Turkish Ceyhan pipeline and a few thousand more by tanker through Jordan.
Iraq faces complex economic challenges and fears of complete economic paralysis with the cessation of its oil revenues, which constitute more than 95% of the income of this rentier state. link
Tishwash: Capital Intelligence awards an Iraqi bank a global rating for its ability to absorb risks despite challenges.
Capital Intelligence Ratings announced that it has affirmed the National Bank of Iraq’s core financial strength rating at “BB”, along with affirming its long-term and short-term foreign currency ratings at “B”, with a stable outlook.
The bank said in a statement, “These ratings come as part of the periodic annual review conducted by the global rating agency to assess the financial performance of banking institutions.
The rating reflects the strength of the National Bank of Iraq’s financial position and growing operational performance, along with its continued commitment to applying the best international banking standards, which enhances the levels of confidence it enjoys among its customers and partners in the market.”
According to the agency's report, the bank has succeeded in developing its balance sheet and capital base to become the largest bank in the Iraqi private sector, driven by a flexible business model and a banking strategy focused on providing banking services to companies and individuals.
Commenting on this achievement, the Managing Director of the National Bank of Iraq, Ayman Abu Dhaim, said, “The confirmation of our credit ratings by a prestigious global agency like Capital Intelligence, with the highest ratings awarded in the Iraqi market, is a testament to the strength of our financial position and the effectiveness of our expansion strategy.
We are committed to continuing to innovate and apply the best international standards to serve our clients and enhance our role as a key partner in supporting the Iraqi economy, especially with our recent investment in the electronic payment sector, which will reshape the digital banking experience in the country.”
Capital Intelligence praised the bank's high operational efficiency, which maintained the best profitability levels among Iraqi banks. It also noted the bank's commitment to the new capital requirements set by the Central Bank of Iraq, which enhances its ability to absorb risks and continue sustainable growth in a challenging operating environment.
The agency also affirmed the bank’s national ratings in Iraq at “iqA” for the long term and “iqA1” for the short term, with a stable outlook for all ratings.
The National Bank of Iraq’s core financial strength rating and national rating are the highest among Iraqi banks covered by Capital Intelligence, reflecting the bank’s robust financial position and asset quality, along with strong liquidity supported by a growing customer deposit base and high profitability levels. link
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Tishwash: Al-Hakim is planning the return of Al-Sudani, and Parliament is ready on Tuesday... Bahaa Al-Araji is very optimistic
The head of the Reconstruction and Development parliamentary bloc, Bahaa al-Araji, revealed on Sunday (March 29, 2029) an intensive political movement led by the Wisdom Movement to reinstate Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for a second term as Prime Minister.
He confirmed that 9 out of 12 forces within the coordination framework support this direction. Al-Araji indicated that the upcoming parliamentary session next Tuesday will witness the achievement of a two-thirds quorum to elect the President of the Republic, considering any further delay to be a “clear violation of the constitution.”
He added that Iraq is exempt from the decision to prevent passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and that Washington informed the Kurdistan Regional Government of the error of its decision to prevent oil exports. Al-Araji also announced that April 8 has been set as the final date for resolving the outstanding entitlements.
The Reconstruction and Development Coalition published, via its Facebook page, a statement by the head of the bloc, Bahaa Al-Araji, which was followed by the 964 Network , in which he revealed that “the two-thirds quorum required to elect the President of the Republic will be achieved in the upcoming parliamentary session on Tuesday, stressing that the opposition does not exceed a minority, foremost among them the “Al-Asas” Coalition, while the Badr Organization and the Victorious and National Approach blocs will be at the forefront of those present.”
Al-Araji explained that “Fuad Hussein requested a postponement of the session, but in his opinion, the current delay constitutes a clear violation of the constitution.”
In the Prime Minister's file, Al-Araji stated that "nine out of twelve forces within the coordination framework support granting Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani a second term, noting that the Wisdom Movement is the owner of this project, and it is supported by the Sadiqun and Badr blocs and the forces of Abu Alaa Al-Walai."
He confirmed that “Nouri al-Maliki pledged to return the position to al-Sudani, and that the decision to withdraw al-Maliki’s nomination was taken implicitly despite the existence of an opposing wing within the State of Law coalition.”
On the security and regional level, Al-Araji praised Al-Sudani’s success in “keeping Iraq away from the war that Israel is trying to drag it into,” stressing that “the authority to declare war is limited to the Commander-in-Chief and Parliament, and that the decision to defend oneself belongs to the Popular Mobilization Forces alone.”
Al-Araji described the targeting of the army in Habbaniyah as an unintentional mistake, while he considered the bombing of Nechirvan Barzani’s house as a blatant attempt to incite strife.
Regarding the international scene, Al-Araji criticized the policies of the Trump administration, describing the decision to assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei as a “foolish decision,” stressing that “Iraq is exempt from the decision to prevent passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and that Washington informed the Kurdistan Regional Government of the error of its decision to prevent oil exports.”
In a subsequent post on the “X” platform, Al-Araji said, “With a firm will and sincere parliamentary efforts, today we reaped the fruits of diligent work by setting April 8 as the final date for resolving the stalled entitlements.”
He added, “This achievement would not have seen the light of day were it not for the insistence on breaking the deadlock and moving towards forming a fully empowered government capable of confronting the grave challenges facing Iraq.” link
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