Iraqi Federal Court delays decision on Kurdistan Regional Parliament Election Law amendment lawsuit

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — The Iraqi Federal Court convened for a session dedicated to reviewing multiple cases, notably the lawsuits related to the Kurdistan Regional Parliament elections, which have now been rescheduled for 4 February.

The Federal Court addressed a consolidated lawsuit that contested the amended Kurdistan Regional Parliament Elections Law of 1992. The legal challenge, unified from two separate lawsuits, was jointly submitted by Ziad Jiyar, Head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Bloc in the 5th session of the Kurdistan Parliament, and Amang Najib Shamoun, Head of the Rafidain Bloc in the Sulaymaniyah Provincial Council.

The plaintiffs sought the annulment of specific provisions — Articles 9, 1, 15, 22, 36.

The Federal Court has conducted six hearings on this matter, with the decision deferred during the session held on 27 December.

The case revolves around critical issues such as the parliamentary seat count, the allocation of seats for minorities, voter registration procedures, and delineation of electoral districts.

Article 36, a focal point of the lawsuit, designates a specific number of seats for Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian, Turkmen, and Armenian candidates, respectively.