Iraqi MP: Parliament echoes Saddam-era assembly
Shafaq News/ On Friday, Independent Iraqi lawmaker Raed al-Maliki launched a sharp critique of the current parliamentary session, comparing it to the defunct National Assembly under Saddam Hussein's regime before 2003.
In a statement, al-Maliki accused the current parliament of disrupting sessions and failing to pass more than 40 draft laws that were ready for voting, adding that dozens of other proposed legislations had only gone through first readings, with seven scheduled ministerial interrogations yet to be conducted.
“Speaker [Mahmoud al-Mashhadani] told me that the lack of consensus among Coordination Framework factions on certain laws has stalled the holding of sessions,” al-Maliki said, claiming that under the State Administration Coalition’s ruling, the Council of Representatives “had come to resemble the National Assembly of the former Revolutionary Command Council era.”
Al-Maliki also denounced the government's influence over the legislature, alleging that it had found allies within the chamber who were “keen to ride along with [Prime Minister] al-Sudani’s bandwagon — one that seems to have room for many.”
On Monday, the Council of Representatives failed to convene due to a lack of quorum — a recurring issue in recent months.
Parliament officially entered its legislative recess on Friday, marking the end of the first term in its fourth legislative year. The recess is expected to extend until the national elections, scheduled for November 11.
As Iraq nears the end of its fifth parliamentary term, the Council has held only 51% of its scheduled sessions based on its internal rules. Lawmakers and observers say this has weakened both the legislative and oversight functions of the body.
