Government & politics — Iraq

• history: several previous;
• latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic and the Council of Minsters collectively, or by one fifth of the Council of Representatives members; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Council of Representatives, approval by referendum, and ratification by the president; passage of amendments to articles on citizen rights and liberties requires two-thirds majority vote of Council of Representatives members after two successive electoral terms, approval in a referendum, and ratification by the president

• chief of state: President Latif RASHID (since 13 October 2022);
• vice presidents (vacant) head of government: Prime Min
• ister Mohammed Shia al-SUDANI (since 27 October 2022) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, approv
• ed by Council of Representatives (COR) elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by COR to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); COR parliamentary election for president last
• held on 13 October 2022 (next to be held NA) election results: 2022: Latif RASHID elected president in second round; COR vote in first round - Latif RASHID (PUK) 157, Barham SALIH (PUK) 99; COR vote in second round - Latif RASHID 167, Barham SALIH 99;
• Mohammed Shia' al-SUDANI approved as prime minister 2018: Barham SALIH elected president in second round; COR vote in first round - Barham SALIH (PUK) 165, Fuad HUSAYN (KDP) 90; COR vote in second round - Barham SALIH 219, Fuad HUSAYN 22; Adil ABD AL-MAHDI approved as prime minister

Description

unicameral Council of Representatives of Iraq (COR) or Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy (329 seats; 320 members directly elected in 83 multi-seat constituencies by single nontransferable vote, 9 seats elected by religious minorities - 5 by Christians, 1 each by Sabaean-Mandaeans, Yazidis, Shabaks andFayli Kurds, and 25% of seats allocated to women; members serve 4-year terms)

Elections

last held on 10 October 2021 (next to be held in 2025)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party/coalition - NA
• seats by party -Taqadum 47, State of Law Coalition 43, Al Fatah Alliance 37, Kurdistan Democratic Party 31, Kurdistan Coalition 18, Azm Alliance 16, Imtidad 16, State Forces Alliance 11, Ishraqat Kanun 10, New Generation Movement 9, National Contract Party 8, Tasmim Alliance 7, Babiliyun Movement 3, other 73;

Composition

men 234, women 95, percent of women 28.9%

Note

seat counts reflect updated numbers after the Sadrist Trend withdrew from government formation and its 73 seats were reallocated to other parties

• highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court or FSC (consists of 9 judges); note - court jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues, application of federal laws, ratification of election results for the COR, judicial competency disputes, and disputes between regions or governorates and the central government; Court of Cassation (consists of a court president, 5 vice presidents,
• and at least 24 judges) judge selection and term of office: Federal Supreme Court (FSC) judges nominated by the High Judicial Council (HJC) president, the FSC chief justice, the public prosecutor's office chief, and the head of the Judicial Oversight Commission; FSC members required to retire at age 72; Court of Cassation judges appointed by the HJC and confirmed by the Council of Representatives to serve until retirement, nominally at age 63,
• but can be extended to age 66 by the HJC subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (governorate level); civil courts, including first instance, personal status, labor, and customs; criminal courts including felony, misdemeanor, investigative, major crimes, juvenile, and traffic courts

18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)); 'Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit note: Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government administers Arbil, Dahuk, and As Sulaymaniyah (as Hewler, Dihok, and Slemani respectively)

• Al Fatah Alliance [Hadi al-AMIRI]
• Azm Alliance [Khamis al-KHANJAR]
• Babiliyun Movement [Rayan al-KILDANI]
• Imtidad [Ala al-RIKABI]
• Ishraqat Konun [Jaafar AZIZ]
• Kurdistan Democratic Party F [Masud BARZANI]
• National Contract Party [Falih al-FAYYAD]
• New Generation Movement [SHASWAR Abd al-Wahid Qadir]
• Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [Bafel TALABANI]
• Sadrist Bloc [Muqtada al-SADR]
• State Forces Alliance [Haydar al-ABADI]
• State of Law Coalition [Nuri al-MALIKI]
• Taqadum [Muhammad al-HALBUSI]
• Tasmim Alliance [Asad al-IDANI] numerous smaller independent, religious, local, tribal, and minority parties

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one
• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

ABEDA, AFESD, AIIB, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

chief of mission

Ambassador Alina L. ROMANOWSKI (since 2 June 2022) embassy: Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad; note - consulate in Al Basrah closed as of 28 September 2018 mailing address: 6060 Baghdad Place, Washington DC 20521-6060

telephone

0760-030-3000

Email address and website

• BaghdadACS@state.gov
• https://iq.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Nazar Issa Abdulhadi AL-KHIRULLAH (since 30 June 2023)

chancery

1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone

[1] (202) 483-7500

FAX

[1] (202) 462-8815

Email address and website

• washington@scrdiraq.gov.iq
• https://www.iraqiembassy.us/

consulate(s) general

Detroit, Los Angeles