KRG provincial councils dissolved by the Iraqi Federal Court
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) provincial councils have been dissolved by the Iraqi Federal Court after their electoral mandate expired and new elections were not held. There has been an impasse since May due to disputed parliamentary elections, which resulted in the KRG not having a legislative body.
In an order issued on Sunday, the Federal Court of Iraq dissolved the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) provincial councils, which have been in office for five years. The decision was based on the expiration of their electoral mandate.
Since 2014, the provincial councils of Erbil (Hewler), Suleymaniyah (Silêmanî), and Duhok (Dihok) have been in office. In 2018, new elections were scheduled but were postponed indefinitely due to the expiration of their terms.
Kurdistan's parliament passed an earlier amendment in 2019 that extended the term of these councils until the next round of elections and changed the method of electing governors despite the delay. The court declared the extension 'unconstitutional' in today's ruling, invalidating this amendment.
In addition, Erbil Governor Omid Khoshnaw and Duhok Governor Ali Tatar were not part of the provincial councils before 2018.
A Kurdistan Regional Government official told Medya News that it is now considering how to respond to the court's decision. A disputed parliamentary election has left the Kurdistan Region without a functioning legislative body since May. As a result of this impasse, the parties have not been able to convene parliament or make collective decisions.
Every decision furthers the process of division," said Isk, comparing Kurdistan's political turmoil to a dark tunnel.
A federal court also ruled that local councils had been receiving illegal salaries for the past five years. These funds must now be returned to the national treasury.
According to reports, the councils received substantial salaries during the extended period, amounting to around 10 million dinars ($7,660) per day. These salaries must be repaid to the public treasury.
Erbil's provincial council has 30 members, while Sulaimani's has 32, and Duhok's has 28. Sulaimaniyah's council has already committed to abide by the court's decision.
During the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum in 2017, the New Generation Movement filed a complaint against the provincial councils.
Kurdistan's Electoral Dilemma
As a result of parliamentary elections, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has already faced a dilemma. Because of disagreements between the two ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), parliamentary elections were postponed last year. The disagreements involved critical issues such as electoral laws, taxation, and oil revenue distribution.
The two parties decided to extend parliament's term until October 2022 in order to facilitate the ongoing negotiations.
An Iraqi federal court, however, dissolved the Kurdistan parliament on 30 May after declaring the extension of its mandate illegal.
The court ruled that all decisions the Kurdistan parliament took during the extension period were null and void.
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