Iraq’s executive, legislative officials stress constitutional solutions

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi heads of judiciary, parliament, and the executive branches reiterated on Wednesday that the current political stalemate and crisis have to be solved via the country’s constitution.

The remarks came during a meeting hosted by Iraqi President Barham Salih in Baghdad, where Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Al-Halbousi, President of Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zidan, and Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi attended. 

In a joint statement released after the meeting by the Iraqi Presidency, the top officials agreed the ongoing political crisis would have a negative impact on the security and stability of the country, urging all political forces to thwart further tension.

They also expressed their support for any efforts that would lead to an “active dialogue” between the conflicting sides, the statement added.

Protecting the state institutions was stressed by all sides, it added.

The quad leaders’ meeting came after the followers of powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr staged a sit-in in front of the judiciary building on Tuesday. The judicial authorities suspended their work across the country in protest of the gathering.

The Sadrist protests were triggered by the refusal of the judiciary to dissolve the Iraqi parliament. Al-Sadr later called on his supporters to withdraw from the site.

The Shiite Coordination Framework, a political group of mainly pro-Iran forces, is engaged in a  tug-of-war with the Sadrists over the country’s political future for more than nine months.