Latest news with #Hazemal-Rudaini
Shafaq News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Mass judicial exodus threatens Iraqi elections
Shafaq News/ Iraq is heading toward a constitutional crisis just months before parliamentary elections on November 11, 2025, as the mass resignation of Federal Supreme Court judges threatens to derail the electoral timeline, a top legal expert warned on Friday. Hazem al-Rudaini, Deputy Head of Iraq's Strategic Center for Human Rights (SCHR), cautioned that the resignations jeopardize the legal foundation of the election. 'It is constitutionally impossible to hold parliamentary elections without the Federal Supreme Court,' he said, pointing to Article 93(7) of the 2005 Constitution, which grants the Court sole authority to ratify election results. Nine judges, including six principal members, resigned Thursday in protest over political pressure, reportedly linked to the Court's 2023 ruling that annulled the 2013 Khor Abdullah maritime agreement with Kuwait. A judicial source told Shafaq News that the fallout from that decision triggered their departure. Members of the Parliamentary Legal Committee expressed alarm. MP Mohammed al-Khafaji described the resignations as 'deeply troubling,' while MP Raed al-Maliki accused political factions of hijacking the judiciary. 'The government and certain parties want to turn the Federal Court into a tool, all while claiming to protect national sovereignty,' he asserted. Al-Maliki criticized the broader 'failure' of Iraq's Shiite leadership to insulate institutions from political interference, warning that the situation sets a dangerous precedent and confirming that parliament is holding emergency consultations to safeguard judicial independence. The crisis stems from a September 2023 ruling in which the Court nullified Law No. 42 of 2013, invalidating Iraq's navigation agreement with Kuwait over the Khor Abdullah waterway. The Court ruled the law unconstitutional, claiming it lacked the two-thirds majority required under Article 61(4). In April 2025, Iraq's president and prime minister appealed the ruling, arguing the agreement covered maritime coordination—not border demarcation—and should fall under Iraq's obligations under the 1966 Vienna Convention.
Shafaq News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
More parties than MPs: Iraq urged to reform law
Shafaq News/ Iraq now has more political parties than seats in its 329-member parliament, the Strategic Center for Human Rights (SCHR) said on Monday. In a statement, SCHR's Deputy Head Hazem al-Rudaini noted that 333 parties are officially registered with the Political Parties and Organizations Department under the 2015 Parties Law, with over 50 more still in the formation stage. As the number of political parties has surpassed the number of parliamentarians, al-Rudaini called for amending the law after ten years of implementation. He proposed revoking the license of any group that fails to participate in two consecutive election cycles. 'The goal of forming a party should be active participation in the political and electoral processes.' The official recommended that political groups maintain offices in multiple provinces to show national reach, and urged regular monitoring of their rhetoric, which he said often includes calls to boycott elections and withdraw from the political process. 80 political parties and 71 electoral alliances intend to participate in the upcoming elections in November 2025, according to IHEC data. Registration remains open until May 14.
Shafaq News
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
2025 elections: 9M Iraqis barred from voting
Shafaq News/ Nearly nine million Iraqis are unable to vote in the upcoming 2025 parliamentary elections, the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq said on Saturday. Hazem al-Rudaini, the center's deputy director, noted that the total number of eligible voters—including those born in 2007 who recently reached voting age—stands at 29.1 million. However, only around 20 million have completed biometric registration, a legal requirement to cast a ballot in the October 11 elections. 'This leaves roughly 9 million Iraqis without the right to vote,' he explained, urging the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to extend the registration deadline by another month to allow more citizens to update their data. He also called for a nationwide awareness campaign involving the government, media, and civil society groups.
