Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq's parliament voted on Saturday to approve a proposed law establishing the Iraqi Programmers Syndicate.

According to a statement from the parliamentary media office, the vote took place during the Council of Representatives’ first session of the new legislative term, attended by 175 out of 329 lawmakers.

The proposed law, which has been under discussion for years, aims to regulate the programming profession in Iraq and protect the rights of software developers. It also seeks to secure official recognition for the role of programmers in the country’s growing digital economy.

Two days before the vote, figures affiliated with the syndicate issued a public appeal titled “A Call from 100,000 Iraqi Programmers to Members of Parliament.” The statement, signed by programmers from across Iraq’s provinces, urged lawmakers to attend Saturday’s session and pass the long-awaited bill.

“This law offers legal protection, professional empowerment, and real investment in Iraqi minds. Absence from this session would mean ignoring a national cause and delaying the dreams of thousands of young Iraqis,” the statement read.

Atheer al-Qaisi, head of the syndicate’s founding committee, praised the support of First Deputy Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi, calling the parliamentary vote a “national achievement” that “does justice to over 100,000 programmers who have waited more than seven years for this moment.”