Calls Mount in Iraq to Dissolve Parliament

Arab World

May 31st, 5:50am

Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat

A general view of the Iraqi parliament in Baghdad, Iraq February 7, 2022. (Reuters)

Calls have mounted in Iraq to dissolve the parliament as a way to end the political impasse in the country that has stretched on for seven months. Iraq held parliamentary elections in October 2021 with no party being able to reap a majority of bloc, which has consequently led to deadlock over the election of a president and formation of a government. Despite the impasse, the parliament has convened with the members of the "salvation coalition", which includes the Sadrist bloc of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the Sunni "sovereignty alliance" and Kurdistan Democratic Party. The lawmakers met to discuss several draft laws and approve others, including last week's law that criminalizes the normalization of ties with Israel. The Shiite pro-Iran Coordination Framework lawmakers voted in favor of the law, even though it was submitted by Sadr, their main Shiite rival. The cleric had proposed the law as a move that would unite Shiites, who are in agreement over opposing Israel in spite of their sharp disputes in Iraq. Meanwhile, the figures calling for the dissolution of parliament believe that its ability to ratify laws does not excuse it from failing to elect a president and form a government. Many of these figures have submitted requests to the Federal Supreme Court to dissolve the legislature. Coordination Framework MP Siham al-Moussawi warned that dissolving parliament and holding new elections could expose Iraq to problems greater than the ones it is grappling with now. She told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Framework hopes to resolve disputes away from political pressure in order to reach an agreement with the Sadrists to form a new government.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3675586/calls-mount-iraq-dissolve-parliament