Iraq: Constitutional Crisis Hinders Zurfi's Efforts to Form Govt.
Arab World
Baghdad - Hamza Mustafa
Iraq’s Prime Minister-Designate Adnan al-Zurfi has less than two weeks to form a government amid dispute between various political parties on all levels. Zurfi doesn't intend to step back from forming a cabinet in response to calls by some political blocs against his mandate, namely Fatah Alliance led by Hadi al-Amri. President Barham Salih also doesn't want to withdraw Zurfi's assignment, despite threats by head of Badr parliamentary bloc Mohammad al-Ghabban to reveal some secrets that led to Zurfi’s nomination. Fatah coalition also objected on the President’s move to consult with the Federal Court, one day before appointing Zurfi, whether he can use Article 76 of the Constitution to mandate whomever he wants without consulting with the parliament’s largest bloc. In a new development, the presidency withdrew the decree appointing Judge Muhammad Rajab al-Kubaisi as a member of the Federal Supreme Court. The Supreme Council reiterated its call to the parliament to expedite legislating an alternative to address the constitutional and legal void represented by the absence of a full quorum court to be invoked in constitutional and legal disputes. Legal presidential advisor Amir al-Kanani told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Presidency implemented a ruling that acquired a peremptory degree, noting that the Supreme Council had previously filed a lawsuit repealing the decree that appointed Judge Kubaisi as a member of the Federal Court. Legal expert Ahmed al-Abadi believes Kubaisi can’t be held responsible for the dispute between the Federal Council and Court. He told Asharq al-Awsat that whatever rulings the judge made during his tenure were correct, noting that the withdrawal of the mandate came at the request of Kubaisi himself, and therefore it does not invalidate the verdicts he issued at the Federal Court. Meanwhile, the head of the intelligence service, Mustafa al-Kazimi, is being considered again as a candidate for the premiership, pending Zurfi’s ability to form a cabinet and win the parliament’s vote of confidence. Kazimi was accused of being involved in the US assassination of Iran Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani and deputy chief of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis last January. Former Deputy Prime Minister Bahaa al-Araji revealed that Zurfi met with several blocs belonging to the alliances opposing his assignment. Araji tweeted on Friday saying that those blocs send negotiators to meet with Zurfi to find out what they could be assigned in the upcoming government, if they supported him. He urged Zurfi to ignore those blocs and maintain his alliances to continue his mission.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2215951/iraq-constitutional-crisis-hinders-zurfis-efforts-form-govt
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