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Iraq - Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

GOVERNMENT Iraq is a constitutional democracy with a federal system of government. The 2005 Iraqi Constitution guarantees all Iraqis basic rights in many areas. The executive branch is made up of the Presidency Council (one president, two deputy presidents) and a Council of Ministers (one prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 34 cabinet ministers). The President is the Head of State, protecting the Constitution and representing the sovereignty and unity of the state, while the Prime Minister is the direct executive authority and commander in chief. Beginning in 2006, the military and police began transitioning from being under the operational control of the Multi-National Forces-Iraq command to Iraqi command and control. The President and Vice Presidents are elected by the Council of Representatives (CoR). The Prime Minister is nominated by the largest bloc in the Council of Representatives. Upon designation, the Prime Minister names the members of his cabinet, the Council of Ministers, which is then approved by the Council of Representatives. The Council of Representatives may withdraw confidence from the Prime Minister, in which case the Prime Minister and Cabinet are considered resigned. Under normal circumstances, the executive branch serves a four-year term concurrent with that of the Council of Representatives. Iraq's legislative branch consists of an elected Council of Representatives and an as-yet unformed Federation Council. The Council of Representatives consists of 275 members, each of whom is elected to four-year terms of service. At least one-quarter of the members of the Council of Representatives must be female. The responsibilities of the Council of Representatives include enacting federal laws, monitoring the executive branch, and electing the President of the Republic. The Federal Council will be established, by law, as a representative for governorates and territories that are not organized in a region. Iraq's judicial branch is independent, and is under no authority but that of the law. The federal judicial authority is comprised of the Higher Judicial Council, Federal Supreme Court, Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary Oversight Commission, and other federal courts. The Higher Judicial Council supervises the affairs of the federal judiciary. The Federal Supreme Court is the highest court in the country, and the final authority on legal decisions. The establishment of the federal courts, their types, and methods for judicial appointments will be set forth by laws enacted by the Council of Representatives. Principal Officials of the Iraqi National Unity Government President--Jalal Talabani Vice-President--'Adil 'Abd al-Mahdi Vice-President--Tariq al-Hashimi Prime Minister--Nuri al-Maliki Deputy Prime Minister--Salam al-Zawba'i Deputy Prime Minister--Barham Salih Minister of Agriculture--Yaroub al-Abodi Minister of Communications--Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi Minister of Culture--vacant Minister of Defense--Abdel Qader Jassim Obeidi al-Mufraji Minister of Displacement & Migration--Abd al-Samad Rahman Sultan Minister of Education--Khudayyir al-Khuza'i Minister of Electricity--Karim Wahid Minister of Environment--Narmin 'Uthman Minister of Finance--Bayan Jabr Minister of Foreign Affairs--Hoshyar Zebari Minister of Health--vacant Minister of Higher Education--Abd Dhiyab al-Ajili Minister of Human Rights--Wijdan Mikha'il Minister of Housing & Construction--Bayan Daza'i Minister of Industry & Minerals--Fawzi al-Hariri Minister of Interior--Jawad al-Bulani Minister of Justice--vacant Minister of Labor & Social Affairs--Mahmud Muhammad Jawad al-Radi Minister of Municipalities & Public Works--Riyad Ghurayyib Minister of Oil--Husayn al-Shahristani Minister of Planning--Ali Baban Minister of Science & Technology--Ra'id Fahmi Jahid Minister of Trade--Abd al-Falah al-Sudani Minister of Transportation--Karim Mahdi Salih Minister of Water Resources--'Abd al-Latif Rashid Minister of Youth & Sports--Jasim Muhammad Ja'far Minister of State for Civil Society--vacant Minister of State for CoR Affairs--Safa al-Safi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs--Rafi Hiyad al-Isawi Minister of State for Governorates Affairs--vacant Minister of State for National Dialogue Affairs--Akram al-Hakim Minister of State for National Security Affairs--Shirwan al-Waili Minister of State for Tourism and Antiquities--vacant Minister of State for Women's Affairs--Fatin Abd al-Rahman Mahmud Major Political Parties and Organizations [Leaders] Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yonadam Kanna]; Al-Da'wa [Ibrahim al-Ja'afari]; Badr Organization [Hadi al-Amiri]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement [Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein]; General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-Dulaymi]; Hewar National Iraqi Front [Saleh al-Mutlaq]; Independent Iraqi Alliance [Falah al-Naqib]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-Muhammadawi]; Iraqi Independent Democrats [Adnan Pachachi]; Iraqi Islamic Party [Muhsin Abd al-Hamid]; Iraqi National Accord (INA) [Ayad Allawi]; Iraqi National Congress (INC) [Ahmad Chalabi]; Iraqi National Unity Movement [Ahmad al-Kubaysi]; Iraqi Turkmen Front [Faruk Abdullah Abdurrahman]; Jama'at al-Fadilah [Ayatollah Muhammad 'Ali al-Yacoubi]; Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) [Massoud Barzani]; Kurdistan Islamic Union [Salaheddine Muhammad Bahaaeddin]; Mithal al-Alusi List [Mithal al-Alusi]; Muslim Ulama Council [Harith Sulayman al-Dari]; National Democratic Movement; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) [Jalal Talabani]; Al-Risalyun [Muqtada al-Sadr]; Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada al-Sadr]; Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI, formerly the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, SCIRI) [Abdul Aziz al-Hakim]; Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress Note: The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan, the Iraqi List, and the United Iraqi Alliance were electoral blocs consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political parties. Alliances and Electoral blocs are subject to change.