ShafaqNews- Baghdad
Iraq'sSupreme Administrative Court ruled on Saturday that the Interior Ministry hasno authority to appoint, confirm, or remove tribal leaders, setting a legalprecedent that leaves the selection of tribal sheikhs to the tribes themselves.
In itsruling, the court noted that government agencies are responsible for managingadministrative and security affairs under the law, but their authority does notextend to determining traditional social positions rooted in tribal customs andpractices.
"Triballeadership is a longstanding social institution based on customs, traditions,and consensus among tribe members," the judicial panel wrote, stressingthat the legitimacy of a tribal sheikh does not stem from a government decisionbut from social acceptance, historical continuity, and recognition within thetribe.
The courtfurther found that any administrative action taken to confirm a tribal sheikhsuffers from a "serious lack of jurisdiction," rendering suchdecisions legally void.
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