Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi lawmaker Youssef al-Kalabi on Tuesday challenged former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to appear before parliament and explain Iraq’s debt, after al-Kilabi was referred to the legislature’s conduct committee over remarks about the former premier that the Construction and Development bloc deemed offensive.

Al-Kalabi argued that the three-year budget approved under al-Sudani’s government was intended to fund a major development drive but was sidelined for a year and a half. He also claimed that Iraq’s debt had reached 208 trillion dinars (about $136.8B) and said his referral to the parliamentary conduct committee was a response to his remarks.

The lawmaker raised several issues concerning al-Sudani’s government, including exemptions, investments, debt, and the alleged use of his office for electoral purposes. He stressed that his comments targeted al-Sudani in his capacity as former prime minister, not the Construction and Development bloc or its lawmakers.

“We will submit a request to the parliament speaker and his two deputies to schedule a public session attended by former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, so he can be questioned about Iraq’s debt,” al-Kalabi said.

Earlier in the day, parliament’s leadership referred al-Kalabi to the conduct committee following a request from Bahaa al-Araji, head of the Construction and Development parliamentary bloc. The referral concerned remarks the lawmaker had made during a parliamentary session.

According to a document reviewed by Shafaq News, al-Araji asked the parliament speaker to refer al-Kalabi to the committee and attached a compact disc containing the lawmaker’s remarks. He described the comments as “clear insults, overstepping and false accusations” against al-Sudani, who heads the Construction and Development Alliance and previously served as prime minister.

On Monday, the Construction and Development bloc announced that it would suspend its participation in parliamentary sessions until legal action was taken against al-Kalabi.

In a statement received by Shafaq News, the bloc said it had submitted an official memorandum to the parliament speaker requesting the lawmaker’s referral to the conduct committee. It added that it had received no substantive response, prompting its decision to suspend participation.