Iraqi Parliament passes laws amid uproar over voting procedure
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Iraqi lawmakers approved three controversial laws, Property Restitution, Personal Status, and General Amnesty, following months of political disputes.
The media office of the Iraqi Parliament issued a statement confirming that MPs voted on the proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959, the bill on returning properties confiscated by the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council, and the second amendment to the General Amnesty Law No. 27 of 2016.
A parliamentary source revealed that chaos erupted in the Iraqi Parliament in response to the controversial mechanism used to pass key legislation.
The source told Shafaq News that several lawmakers expressed their disapproval over the voting process for three contentious bills, revealing that "half of the MPs present in the session abstained from voting, causing the legal quorum to be broken."
He also noted that some MPs staged protests during the session, with a few even ascending the parliamentary podium.
MP Noor Nafi later posted on X that the laws were passed "without a vote," criticizing the process. She added, "The parliament passed the Personal Status Law amendment and the General Amnesty Law. MPs did not raise their hands in approval, yet the laws were still approved."
She further claimed that "members of the presidency and some MPs left the hall due to these absurdities," as she described them.
A video shared with Shafaq News showed a group of MPs collecting signatures to remove Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani over the controversial voting method used for the three bills.
Overview of the Controversial Laws
The draft Property Restitution Law, which addresses properties affected by decisions from the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council, has become a focal point in Iraq’s political landscape. Kurdish MPs and officials argue that the law aims to return properties to their original Kurdish and Turkmen owners, confiscated under eight decisions made by the Council between 1975 and 1979. These decisions were intended to enforce demographic changes in disputed areas.
The proposed amendments to the Iraqi Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959, a long-standing demand of Shiite factions, have ignited heated debates within Parliament and among civil society organizations. The proposed changes cover a wide range of issues, including marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody.
Meanwhile, Sunni parliamentary and political forces continue to push for the passage of the General Amnesty Law, a proposal that has faced opposition from Shiite factions due to concerns over the potential release of detainees linked to terrorism charges.
