Iraqi MPs absent: Parliament attendance barely hits 40%
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq’s Parliament failed for a second day to meet the quorum, delaying votes on several key bills.
In a statement, Deputy Speaker Shakhwan Abdullah said fewer than 50 lawmakers attended, though 130 out of 329 had signed the roll. He called the absences "unacceptable," as some members traveled from outside Baghdad.
Read more: No end in sight: Iraq's Parliament drowns in delays and disagreements.
Monday’s session also collapsed, halting an agenda of 11 items, including seven draft laws. Deputy Head of the Economy Committee Yasser al-Husseini accused political blocs of deliberately blocking legislation, citing the industrial investment law and a compensation bill for amputees.
Shafaq News conducted a review in April 2025 showing that Iraq’s fifth parliamentary term completed only 51 percent of its scheduled sittings—well below the required eight sessions per month across two four-month legislative terms. With the current term now nearing its end, and only two sessions remaining, the same shortfall is on track to be repeated.
Read more: Iraq’s Parliament in crisis: Only 51% of sessions held.
