Exclusive: Iraqi MP demands special session with PM Al-Sudani on withheld laws, threatens court action

Shafaq News / On Thursday, Iraqi MP Hadi Al-Salami revealed that he has submitted a parliamentary request to the Acting Speaker of the Parliament, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, to host PM Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.

Al-Salami told Shafaq News, "I submitted the request to host the Prime Minister in a special session to discuss the reasons behind withdrawing the Federal Civil Service Law and not resending it to the House of Representatives."

"This law is crucial as it serves employees and addresses salary issues, especially the salary scale for state employees,” he explained. “The government must send the law to Parliament for approval."

Al-Salami added, "If the Presidency of the Parliament does not respond to or approve our request, we will turn to the Federal Court to file a complaint against the government for failing to adhere to the Budget Law instructions and not sending the law to Parliament."

Among the significant laws withdrawn by Al-Sudani's government, in addition to the Federal Civil Service Law, are the Compulsory Military Service Law, the Housing Violations Remedies Law, the Reconstruction Council Law, the Companies Law Amendment, the first amendment to the Iraqi National Oil Company Law, and the second amendment to the Public Roads Law.

Notably, when Mohammed Shia al-Sudani became prime minister of Iraq in October 2022 after a year of impasse and political infighting, he made it a priority to combat endemic corruption in the country and help restore citizen trust in government institutions. But thus far, and twenty years after the US-led invasion, Iraq remains subverted by a controversial power-sharing system that helped entrench a sectarian elite and reproduce corruption and inequality.