Shafaq News- Baghdad

The new anti-corruption council formed by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi violates constitutional provisions governing the country's independent watchdog bodies, lawmaker Mohammad Jasem Al-Khafaji said on Sunday.

A day earlier, Al-Zaidi ordered the formation of the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight, and Recovery of Public Funds, which he will chair alongside the heads of the Federal Integrity Commission and the Federal Board of Supreme Audit. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the council will oversee ministries, provincial governments and other state institutions on major issues affecting public finances, with the aim of preventing waste of public funds, recovering state assets and referring findings to the judiciary.

However, Al-Khafaji, an MP from the Ishraqat Kanoon bloc that holds eight seats in parliament, argued that the two bodies are tasked with overseeing the executive branch and investigating corruption and waste of public funds, including within government ministries and the prime minister's office itself.

"How can the prime minister be the head of their council?" he asked, describing the move as a "clear constitutional and legal violation." The lawmaker urged the government to strengthen oversight institutions by nominating qualified candidates to lead them and submitting those nominations to Parliament for approval, rather than continuing to rely on acting officials.

He further called on the government to work through existing legislation governing the Integrity Commission and the Federal Board of Supreme Audit instead of establishing “illegal councils."

Al-Zaidi, according to his government’s pledge, is pursuing a broader anti-corruption campaign focused on strengthening financial oversight, reviewing major government contracts and recovering public funds. On Saturday, he also directed the new council to assess the economic viability of government projects and establish specialized committees to review public contracts and ensure compliance with existing laws and regulations.

Read more: What does Iraq's new government promise? A guide to Ali Al-Zaidi's ministerial program