Iraq
Security forces entering the parliament hall to forcefully remove disapproving MPs on March 27, 2023. Photo: Social media
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court in May will hear cases filed by members of the parliament calling for annulling the amendments made to the country’s election system in a parliamentary session marred by chaos late last month.
The Iraqi legislature on March 27 voted to restore the Sainte-Laguë voting method, which reverts back to the single-constituency per province system, instead of the multiple-constituency system that was adopted for the 2021 parliamentary elections.
Many lawmakers loudly voiced their disapproval of the amendment, claiming that the system favors candidates of popular political blocs over smaller and independent candidates. Their cries were met with Parliamentary Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi calling for security forces to detain and forcefully remove the MPs from the hall.
Two Emtidad Movement MPs, one Isharaqat Kanun MP, and an intendent MP have filed separate complaints against the March 27 session, calling for its annulments and hence the annulment of the voting system amendment.
“The complaints are against the measures taken before the start of the session and during,” Mohammad Jasim, one of the lawmakers, told Rudaw’s Hastyar Qadir on Sunday, adding “if the session is revoked, then the law amendment will be too.”
Iraqis took to the streets in October 2019 in massive protests against corruption and unemployment, calling for a complete overthrow of the governing system that has ruled the country since the fall of the Baathist regime.
In response to the protests, the Iraqi parliament adopted a new electoral constituency system for the 2021 parliamentary elections, which divided the provinces of the country into multiple voting districts rather than one sole district.
Early elections were held in October 2021, but the parliamentary vote saw a record low turnout which further highlighted the Iraqi people’s lack of trust in their country’s democratic system.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment