Source: Iraq’s Taqaddum Bloc boycotts Parliament over Amnesty Law exclusion

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Progress Party (Taqaddum) MPs boycotted parliament sessions due to the exclusion of the draft amendment to the General Amnesty Law and the "failure” to adhere to political agreements, a source within the bloc said on Monday.

The source told Shafaq News, “Taqaddum Bloc demands the inclusion of the General Amnesty Law on the parliament's agenda,” adding, "We will continue the boycott until the law is included."

On Sunday, the Iraqi Parliament failed to convene its session due to an intentional lack of quorum, as certain political blocs intentionally boycotted the meeting. “Some blocs demanded the inclusion of the General Amnesty Law on the agenda and deliberately broke the quorum in protest over its exclusion,” a member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee told our agency.

About the Law

Sunni parliamentary and political forces continue to press for the passage of the General Amnesty Law, a proposal that has met opposition from Shiite factions due to concerns over the potential release of detainees linked to terrorism charges. Since the formation of PM Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s government, this law’s fate remains uncertain. Despite an agreement to enact it, observers point to a lack of political will, particularly within the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), which is believed to be delaying the law’s progress and backtracking on prior commitments made to Sunni forces to secure their support for the new government.

Sunni blocs conditioned the passage of this law during negotiations to form the State Administration Coalition, which included the CF, and Kurdish and Sunni blocs, leading to Al-Sudani's government. Sunni MPs maintain that the government’s program includes enacting the Amnesty Law, canceling security checks in their provinces, and addressing the suspension or abolition of certain entities that have contributed to significant tensions.