Constitutional decay: Iraq’s new Parliament hits early speed bumps

Shafaq NewsIraq’s sixth parliamentary term has barely begun. Yet,early signs of dysfunction are already raising a familiar question: can the newlegislature avoid the paralysis that crippled previous parliaments, or is italready drifting toward the same cycle of delay and obstruction?The concern goes beyond routine teething problems.Parliament formally entered its sixth term on December 29, 2025, after all 853electoral appeals were resolved. Analysts caution that without genuinepolitical consensus among major blocs, initial procedural momentum couldquickly give way to stalled sessions, absent lawmakers, and delayed legislation—patterns that have repeatedly weakened Iraq’s legislative institution.: Iraq’s weakest parliament since 2003Political analyst Mujashaa Al-Tamimi told Shafaq Newsthat the risks are tangible. “Credible reports are predicting legislativeparalysis, failure to reach quorum in a number of sessions, and repeatedpostponement of important sittings and laws, as happened in previous periods,”he explained, stressing that disputes among political blocs remain the maindriver of inertia.Al-Tamimi added that MPs’ absences are oftendeliberate, used as a pressure tactic to block quorum or extract concessions onspecific bills. “Party leaderships control MPs’ decisions at the expense of thenational interest,” he observed, noting that substantive legislative workremains limited while political rivalry continues to erode parliament’s abilityto implement effective policy.Official records reinforce these warnings, especiallybetween January 2022 and the end of its term in November 2025, the previouslegislature held just 148 sessions —less than 51% of its mandated workload.That performance ranked the fifth parliamentary term as the weakest since 2010,highlighting how absenteeism and delayed sessions have become entrenchedfeatures of Iraq’s political system rather than temporary lapses.: Iraq's new parliament: Defining the next decadeHistorical precedent also underscores the difficulty ofbreaking these patterns. After the March 2010 elections, disputes over thelargest parliamentary bloc delayed government formation for seven months and 18days. In 2020, Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi withdrew after being tasked with forminga government following Adel Abdul Mahdi’s resignation. Following the October2021 elections, Iraq endured one of its longest deadlocks, with governmentformation postponed for more than nine months until Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’scabinet secured approval in October 2022.These episodes are cited not merely as background, butas a cautionary framework: each began with procedural delays that laterhardened into prolonged paralysis.Amid these concerns, some lawmakers urge restraint injudging the new term too quickly. Amer Al-Fayez, head of the Tasmeem Alliance,observed that the sixth term has opened with “early sessions that are promisingin terms of seriousness at work,” expressing hope that the current parliamentwill outperform its predecessors.Al-Fayez also noted a backlog of major legislationawaiting action, including the Federal Oil and Gas Law, the Federal SupremeCourt Law, and bills aimed at boosting state revenues amid what he described asa severe economic crisis. Addressing those pressures, he argued, “can only beachieved through laws that strengthen state resources.”: Iraq’s Parliament: High pay, low productivityEven so, early optimism faces an immediate test. ThePopular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Authority Law has already emerged as a focalpoint for political division, offering a clear indication of whether parliamentcan overcome entrenched disputes or fall back into familiar tactics of delay.The PMF Law is more than a routine bill; itconcentrates many of the legislature’s underlying fault lines. While some MPshave begun gathering signatures to advance it, Al-Fayez noted that the speakerand his deputies have yet to agree on a long-term legislative agenda, leavingthe law’s trajectory tied to political developments in the coming days.Inside parliament, lawmaker Shaker Abu Turab Al-Tamimiof the Badr parliamentary bloc confirmed that a request bearing the signaturesof around 60 MPs has been submitted, while noting that some CoordinationFramework MPs —including figures who founded PMF brigades— declined to sign. Headded that parties refusing to vote would be publicly identified.The draft law seeks to regulate the PMF’s institutionalstructure, leadership hierarchy, and administrative framework within the state.Its repeated postponement reflects not only internal disagreements overauthority and oversight, but also the influence of external pressures.The United States has expressed opposition to the Law,while Iran has shown greater acceptance. That external divide has translatedinto internal hesitation, turning the bill into a litmus test of parliament’scapacity to legislate under competing pressures.MP Mansour Al-Baiji of the Development andReconstruction Coalition, led by caretaker PM Al-Sudani, affirmed thatlawmakers intend to move forward after completing key political steps,asserting that the sixth term will seek to pass laws stalled in previous cyclesdue to political disputes.: Iraq’s PMF Law: A battle for state controlUrging political forces to “put the country’s interestahead of party and factional interests,” he argued that Iraq’s challenges canonly be addressed through genuine political consensus.Whether such a consensus can materialize remainsuncertain. As Al-Tamimi cautioned, early absenteeism, delayed prioritization,and unresolved disputes over divisive legislation mirror the same warning signsthat preceded past failures. The handling of the PMF Authority Law—particularly parliament’s ability to maintain quorum and reach a decision— mayprovide the clearest early indication of whether the sixth term can break withprecedent or slide back into the paralysis that has defined Iraq’s recent legislativehistory.Written and edited by Shafaq News staff.