Parliament convenes to vote on food security bill

Shafaq News/ The speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Mohammad al-Halboosi, started the session called today, Wednesday, to vote on the anticipated emergency bill on food security and development, an official press release by the parliament's media office said.

Shafaq News Agency correspondent said that 273 lawmakers have attended the session.

The bloc of "Ishraqat Kanoun" announced that it will not attend the session "in compliance with the constitution, the federal court's compelling and decisive rulings and interpretations."

The draft of the Emergency Law for Food Security and Development is expected to boost the country's efforts to subsidize food and improve service provision, including in the power sector.

Since early this year, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's caretaker government has been pushing for the bill to be passed into law due to delays in approving the 2022 budget.

However, political wrangling over the formation of a new government, about eight months since the elections, has hindered the process.

The bill originally set aside 27 trillion Iraqi dinars ($18.5 billion) but that amount has since been made to 35 trillion dinars now.

The food security bill was originally submitted by the government but was rejected by the Federal Supreme Court last month.

The court ruled that the outgoing government had no authority to come up with bills to present to parliament or strike agreements that could influence Iraq's future.

After the ruling, the parliament's financial committee proceeded to submit the bill — one of three options mentioned by the constitution when it comes to proposing draft laws.