Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s Shiite blocs backing the proposed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Authority Law must engage rival factions directly before pushing the bill to a vote, independent MP Hussein Arab urged on Monday.

He warned that regional and international actors are already maneuvering to derail the legislation, noting that while it has cleared two parliamentary readings, it now requires broad consensus to move forward.

Following a call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the US State Department voiced “serious concern,” warning that the legislation would “institutionalize Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq’s sovereignty.”

Parliament first enacted a version of the PMF law in November 2016 to formalize the force’s role in the fight against ISIS, but gaps in structure and oversight have prompted calls for reform.

The PMF  was formed in 2014 after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa that mobilized thousands—mainly from Shiite factions—into a state-sanctioned force to confront ISIS.

Deliberations over the revised law come as parliament faces paralysis, with repeated absenteeism preventing quorum and delaying major legislative action.

The draft law was excluded from Tuesday’s parliamentary session agenda.