UPDATED:Iraqi president signs Hashd al-Shaabi law

UPDATED:Iraqi president signs Hashd al-Shaabi law

By [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] [ltr]14 hours ago [/ltr]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
A Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi fighter around Tal Afar airport, west of Mosul. Photo: AFP

BAGHDAD, Iraq--Iraqi President Fouad Masoum signed the law Sunday recognizing the mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi as an official force with similar rights to the regular army.
 
The law was passed in a vote in the Iraqi Parliament on November 26. According to the constitution, laws passed by the legislative body will automatically become law after 15 days.

The president’s signature is not technically mandatory. Therefore, recognition of the Hashd al-Shaabi within the Iraqi forces became law last week.

The current Iraqi president does not have the powers to reject the laws passed by the Iraqi parliament, Dr Abdullah Mohammed , the spokesperson of the Iraqi president, told Rudaw on Tuesday, whie the former Iraqi president Jalal Talabani used to have such powers as the result of the then power sharing agreement between the Iraqi parties. 
 
Masoum signed the law on Sunday, the same day he met with the head of the Shiite force in Baghdad, Falah Fayaz, who is also the national security adviser for Iraq.
 
It is not clear whether or not the president, who is Kurdish, had any reservations regarding the controversial law that caused dissatisfaction among some Iraqi Sunni and Kurdish MPs. Neither is it clear why did Masoum announced signing the law while it was already a law, according to the Iraqi constitution. 

Dr Abdullah said may be the Iraqi presidency received the law from the parliament "with delay", and as the result the 15 day limit may not have passed. 
 
President's Masoum's office said that the law came in recognition to those who shed their blood "in defense of Iraq.”
 
It added that the law is significant as it will pave the way to "keep the weapons in the hands of the state."
 
According to the law, the Hashd al-Shaabi will come under full control of the armed forces, while enjoy the same rights and privileges as the army.
 
The parliamentary decree also stipulated that members of all of Iraq’s ethnic and religious groups will have the right the join Hashd al-Shaabi and they will be reorganized through the army after the Mosul liberation operation. Currently it is a predominantly Shiite force.
 
The Hashd al-Shaabi was formed upon a call by Iraq’s grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the summer of 2014 after ISIS captured several Iraqi provinces. He urged civilians to take up arms and fight against further expansion of the radical group.
 
Many Sunni MPs and leaders have since opposed the existence of the armed group and complained that it is replacing the Iraqi army and has carried out abuses against Sunni civilians in Anbar and Salahaddin provinces.
 
The Hashd al-Shaabi is currently playing a key role in the offensive to retake Mosul. They are battling the extremist group west of the city and have cut off ISIS from its main supply route to Raqqa, Syria.