Parliamentary Committee: The Commission has expressed its willingness to hold local elections after

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[size=52]Parliamentary Committee: The Commission has expressed its willingness to hold local elections after the resolution of its law[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad / Firas Adnan[/size]
[size=45]A specialized parliamentary committee reported that the Independent High Electoral Commission has expressed its willingness to hold local elections at the end of this year after completing all the provisions of its law, indicating that this file will be started after the completion of the budget legislation.[/size]
[size=45]This comes at a time when deputies indicated that the most prominent proposals put forward are reducing the number of members of the provincial councils and returning to the previous system, whether it is related to one constituency or the voting mechanism according to the (St. Lego 1.9) formula.[/size]
[size=45]A member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, Ahmed Fawaz, said, "The beginning of the current legislative term witnessed a movement towards a package of suspended laws from the previous session, and they began to be read in the last sessions."[/size]
[size=45]Fawaz continued, "The main concern of the House of Representatives in general is to wait for the federal budget law for this year by the government."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "starting with the laws included in the ministerial curriculum will be after the completion of the budget, including pension laws, civil service and local elections."[/size]
[size=45]And between Fawaz, “These laws will be legislated successively; Because it came within the document of the political agreement signed by the parties to the State Administration coalition.[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "The political agreement stipulates that the local elections for the provincial councils will be at the end of this year, specifically in October."[/size]
[size=45]Fawaz stated, "The elections will be preceded by the enactment of a new law or an amendment to the law in force to regulate the voting process and other related matters."[/size]
[size=45]And between, "The Parliamentary Legal Committee had met at the end of last month with the Independent High Commission for Elections, which confirmed, on its part, the completion of all technical and financial preparations."[/size]
[size=45]Fawaz explained, "The existence of provincial councils is sourced from the constitutional texts, and therefore the situation cannot continue with their absence except after making a constitutional amendment that includes their abolition."[/size]
[size=45]And he stated, "The proposed amendments to the law are related to the electoral system, which will be subject to political consensus between the blocs."[/size]
[size=45]Fawaz denied, "reaching a proposal approved by the political blocs on the electoral system only after obtaining a political consensus on it."[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "The Legal Committee is the one that will adopt this amendment, and we started with the first touches when we consulted with the Independent High Electoral Commission, and the rest of the steps are subject to political consensus in preparation for voting on the amendment."[/size]
[size=45]Fawaz spoke, "about a trend towards reducing the number of members of the provincial councils in general, to remove the slackness that those councils were suffering from during the previous sessions."[/size]
[size=45]And he believes, “Returning the provincial councils has become an urgent necessity at this stage, provided that they adopt a project to serve the provinces and strive to solve problems for the public by enacting decisions that are consistent with the public interest.”[/size]
[size=45]Fawaz concluded, "The parliament's role will be to enact a law that helps the real representatives of the people win in the provinces, and then exercises control over their actions."[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Representative Ali Al-Bandawi stated that "the political agreement has become binding on all, that local elections will take place at the end of this year."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Bandawi continued, "The blocs made many and many proposals regarding these elections, but the most prominent of them is to make the province one district, unlike the situation in the parliamentary elections."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "This proposal was adopted by the various political blocs, with a return to the Saint-Lego system (1.9) in counting votes."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Bandawi went on to say that “the issue of going to the local elections has become an irreversible option in order to impose control over the actions of the conservatives who have become working outside this control since the previous parliament voted on a law that ended the session of the provincial councils.”[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Representative Faisal Al-Waeli affirmed, "The desire for the return of local councils is no longer only a political demand, but the popular circles also want to resume control over the actions of governors."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Waeli continued, "Parliament will be keen to discuss the election law, whether it came independently or in a way to amend the current law, and to inform public opinion of the texts and materials it contains."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "Parliament is keen to listen to all opinions regarding the upcoming law, whether those issued by political blocs, or even civil society organizations, observers, or the Iraqi street."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Waeli concluded by saying, "These notes will eventually turn into a text that is subject to political consensus and accepted by all as a prelude to its approval."[/size]
[size=45]An official statement by the State Administration Coalition confirmed that the coalition held its regular meeting last week, chaired by Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi and in the presence of Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sawadni, to “discuss the latest developments on the national, regional and international arena.”[/size]
[size=45]The statement indicated that "the coalition hosted the elections committee, to resolve the election law in preparation for local elections, and it also discussed the most important challenges expected by specialists and mechanisms to solve them."[/size]
[size=45]The statement quoted the prime minister as confirming his full readiness to "hold the elections in an appropriate security environment."[/size]
[size=45]The ministerial platform of the government of Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, which was voted on by Parliament on October 27, 2022, stipulates that “the government is committed to carrying out its duty to support the Independent High Electoral Commission in all fields to enable it to conduct the upcoming elections for the Federal House of Representatives and provincial elections, by providing financial allocations and preparing A safe and stable environment for holding elections to ensure their success and integrity.[/size]
[size=45]In its previous session, the House of Representatives had voted on a decision abolishing the provincial councils under the influence of the October Uprising, but due to fears of ruling the unconstitutionality of this decision before the Federal Supreme Court, it resorted to enacting a law that includes ending the provincial elections cycle, which was extended more than once due to the lack of financial liquidity.[/size]
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