Baghdad’s top court moves to prevent post-election deadlock

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s top judicial authority on Saturday said the newly elected parliament must complete its first session on December 29 by electing a speaker and two deputies, warning that any delay would ''breach'' the constitution.

In a statement, Faiq Zidan, head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, noted that lawmakers must act within the constitutionally mandated 30-day period to nominate a presidential candidate following the session.

Adherence to deadlines for selecting the parliamentary speaker, president, and prime minister is “essential” to completing the formation of both the legislative and executive branches, he added.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the speakership is allocated to a Sunni, the presidency to a Kurd, and the premiership to a Shia nominee, with the parliamentary leadership elected first.

Political negotiations have intensified ahead of the session. Sunni blocs are accelerating efforts to agree on a speaker nominee, while the Shiite Coordination Framework coalition aims to finalize a prime ministerial candidate within two weeks.

Iraq has repeatedly experienced prolonged post-election deadlocks in recent years, as disputes over parliamentary procedures and power-sharing arrangements delayed government formation for months. After the 2021 elections, institutional paralysis lasted nearly a year, prompting repeated interventions by the Supreme Federal Court on matters ranging from quorum requirements to the legality of parliamentary sessions.

Read more: Iraq begins 90-day countdown to form government as political fault lines re-emerge