Election ratification starts 15-day clock to convene Iraq’s parliament

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s constitution requires the president to call the newly elected parliament into session within no more than 15 days of the Federal Supreme Court’s ratification of the general election results, a legal expert told Shafaq News on Sunday.

The Court ratified the final results today, after concluding that the voting process met constitutional and legal standards.

Habib Al-Quraishi, a specialist in legal and constitutional affairs, said the deadline cannot be extended beyond 15 days, noting that Article 55 of the constitution provides for parliament to elect its speaker and two deputies by secret ballot in its first session, requiring an absolute majority of lawmakers.

The newly elected speaker, he added, plays a role in the process of electing the president and approving the prime minister and cabinet, completing the formation of constitutional institutions.

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Al-Quraishi noted that Article 72 (Second) stipulates the election of the president within 30 days from the date of parliament’s first session, adding that the incumbent president continues to exercise duties until a new president is elected.

He pointed out that the current president is responsible for setting the date of the first session of the sixth parliamentary term, while the next president will designate the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc to form the government.

Al-Quraishi also cited Article 76, which requires the president to name the largest bloc’s nominee as prime minister within 15 days of the presidential election. The prime minister-designate then has 30 days to form a cabinet, after which the president must appoint another candidate if the attempt fails.

He further explained that the same article requires the cabinet lineup and government program to be presented to parliament, with confidence granted once ministers are approved individually and the program passes by an absolute majority. If the proposed cabinet fails to secure confidence, the president must appoint a new candidate within 15 days.

According to Al-Quraishi, the constitution sets no clear penalties for missing these deadlines, except in cases involving extensions granted after a prime minister-designate fails to form a cabinet, pointing to a legislative gap caused by the absence of a unified framework governing constitutional timelines.