The Iraqi Parliament... Frustrates Iraqis and Causes Huge Financial Losses
The Iraqi parliament ended its second legislative session without being able to pass any of the pending controversial laws, despite extending its sessions for an additional month to try to resolve these sensitive issues.
At the forefront of these laws are the general amnesty, personal status, state real estate, and the vital amendment to the general budget law, which is seen as a renewed dilemma affecting the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region.
These issues reflect the deep-rooted differences between political parties, where factional, sectarian and national interests appear to be a solid barrier to any common understanding.
According to an informed political source speaking from Baghdad, “the delay in passing the laws was not due to the complexity of the texts as much as it was a direct result of party directives that prompted some representatives to deliberately miss sessions in order to disrupt the legal quorum.”
The source added that these directives are linked to what he called “rearranging political alliances” that precede any influential vote.
Citizen Ahmed Al-Saadi, an activist from Basra, commented in a Facebook post saying: “The House of Representatives lives in a parallel world; it discusses matters that concern its interests while the citizen suffers from crises in services and the economy. The budget is faltering, oil exports have stopped, and millions are being lost every day.”
A similar tweet on the X platform described the situation as “legislative chaos that reflects the collapse of the concept of the state in favor of the concept of class and party.”
The election of Mahmoud al-Mashhadani as the new speaker of parliament has sparked great controversy. Analysts have suggested that this change reflects an attempt to restore the image of the legislative institution, but the same analyses have not ruled out that the issue could turn into a mere change in names without achieving a fundamental change in performance.
Social researcher Ali Al-Jubouri said: “This election is like trying to treat a deep wound with a simple bandage. The problem lies in the quota structure that turns positions into fixed shares for parties and sects.”
On the other hand, obstructing the amendment related to the budget law will cause the state huge losses.
According to economic information published by a local financial institution, stopping oil exports from the Kurdistan Region costs Iraq more than $8 million per day, deepening the financial crisis for both the federal state and the region.
Kurdish citizen Saman Abdullah from Erbil spoke in a video clip he posted on Facebook, saying: “Political differences do not only harm Baghdad, but we in the region are paying the price directly. Employee salaries are delayed, and prices are rising without control.”
An analysis by economic expert Fadhel Al-Dulaimi explained that the crisis could become more complicated if it is not resolved in the coming months.
Al-Dulaimi said: “Without an agreement on the budget law and oil exports, the economic situation may explode, especially with the increase in debts and the decrease in cash reserves.”
The atmosphere inside the parliament is described as gloomy, according to what a citizen named Iman Al-Taie said on her X account, where she said: “The representatives are exchanging accusations via media platforms, while we have not seen any practical steps yet. Everyone blames everyone else, but it is the people who pay the price.”
Thus, the Iraqi parliament remains stuck in a vicious circle of disagreements, as its sessions turn into an arena for settling political scores instead of resolving crises. Analysts expect that this situation will continue as long as sectarian and nationalist quotas govern the state’s scene. link
