Iraq's Federal Court revokes the Food Security Bill

Iraq's Federal Court revoked the Food Security Bill which the caretaker government proposed to the parliament.

The court also answered the President's query about the phrase "daily matters" contained in Article 64/Second of the Constitution. The President asked the Federal Court if the caretaker government can present draft laws to the parliament and the court answered with No!

Six months after the election, Iraq has only been able to elect the Parliament Presidency. The country is currently at a deadlock as political parties have failed to reach an agreement on electing the new president and forming the government. The current government is the caretaker government which doesn't have the authority to propose bills.

According to documents seen by Earth News Agency, the Federal Court explained the meaning of the caretaker government, stressing that it does not have the right to propose bills.

The food security bill consists of 10 articles, and according to the bill, the Iraqi government oversees a bank account to collect about 45 trillion dinars ( about $30.9 billion) from the surplus of the annual budget and local and foreign debts to use for ensuring food security in Iraq.

And also to reduce poverty and continue to implement projects in Iraq, as well as repaying foreign debt on Iraq and buying energy.

However, Iraq already has a section within the Budget Law that provides funds for emergency use, including food crisis making the new bill useless.

Regarding the issue, PUK MP and a member of the Parliamentary Economy Committee in the Iraqi parliament, Briar Rashid, told PUKmedia on Sunday that the Federal Court responded today to the inquiry of the President of the Republic, Barham Salih, regarding the phrase “daily matters,” explaining that the court decided that enacting laws is not within the authorities of the caretaker government.

"After the decision of the Federal Court, the draft law on emergency support for food security and development will not be voted on," he added.

On Saturday, the Parliamentary Finance Committee continued discussions of the draft law on emergency support for food security and development, while legal experts confirmed in previous statements to PUKmedia that the caretaker government does not have the right to send bills to the new parliament.

 

PUKmedia