Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi lawmakers are pushing to suspend the country's provincial councils and freeze their budgets for the rest of their term, which runs to the end of 2027, Shafaq News learned on Sunday.

In an official letter to Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi, a group of MPs requested that the proposal be placed on the agenda of the next parliamentary session for a vote.

The lawmakers cited Article 20 of the amended Law No. 21 of 2008 on the Powers of Provinces Not Incorporated into a Region. The provision gives Parliament the authority to act when a provincial council commits a serious breach in carrying out its duties or violates the constitution or other laws. They also cited Article 2, which places provincial councils under parliamentary oversight.

Iraq's Parliament dissolved the provincial councils in 2019 following nationwide Tishreen protests that condemned corruption, political patronage and the handling of public funds. The councils had also come under widespread criticism over their performance and effectiveness.

The councils returned after provincial elections in 2023. Their responsibilities include electing provincial governments, approving service-related budgets and overseeing the performance of executive departments.

Read more: Iraq’s protests after Tishreen: A system that learned how to contain the street