Member of the parliamentary legal committee: Political norms complement the provisions of the Iraqi constitution

Raed al-Maliki, a member of the legal committee in the House of Representatives, emphasized during a dialogue session attended by representatives of European Union countries, the importance of researching the rules governing the post of prime minister and the mechanisms for candidates to reach it, noting that the discussions highlighted the legislative gaps related to nominations.

Al-Maliki noted that political performance is not limited to the texts of the constitution and the law, but political norms and values play a pivotal role in addressing legislative voids. He added that some of these voids are perceived negatively, but they also provide political flexibility that may be positive.

The member of the legal committee explained that the Iraqi constitution defines the general framework and timing but does not cover all the details, making custom and political culture complementary to constitutional texts, citing the American experience, which allowed a political custom based on the practices of George Washington to continue despite the absence of a specific constitutional text. He emphasized that democracy and the peaceful transfer of power are the basis for regulating political performance.

Al-Maliki added that the exploitation of resources and hegemony over power prompts the ruling coordination framework to set limits on the prime minister's tenure, stressing that the ultimate responsibility for determining the mechanism for selecting the prime minister lies with the political forces, and that achieving political stability is linked to adherence to democratic values.