Iraqi MPs to Face One Million ID Fine for Missing Parliament Sessions

Al-Mashhadani stressed the necessity of achieving a quorum in parliament, noting that the frequent absence of a significant number of MPs has severely hindered the process of passing crucial legislation and making urgent amendments to existing laws.

The Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, in meeting with the heads of parliamentary factions, Jan. 19, 2025. (Photo: Iraqi parliament)
The Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, in meeting with the heads of parliamentary factions, Jan. 19, 2025. (Photo: Iraqi parliament)

Jan. 20, 2025

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani on Sunday announced that any member of parliament (MP) who misses a session will be fined one million Iraqi dinars.

Al-Mashhadani met with the heads of parliamentary factions to address the issue of MPs not attending sessions, which has severely impacted the legislative process in parliament. 

"In the coming days, we will revise the parliament bylaw to impose fines on MPs who miss sessions and to publish the names of absent MPs on the official parliament website," the speaker told a Kurdistan24 correspondent.

Al-Mashhadani stressed the necessity of achieving a quorum in parliament, noting that the frequent absence of a significant number of MPs has severely hindered the process of passing crucial legislation and making urgent amendments to existing laws.

The parliament speaker urged faction leaders to take responsibility and encourage their members to actively participate in parliamentary meetings. In a related measure, Al-Mashhadani canceled all scheduled flights for MPs to ensure their attendance at upcoming sessions, thereby helping to achieve the quorum necessary for passing laws.

On Sunday, the Iraqi parliament convened to make amendments to the general budget’s article on exporting Kurdistan oil. However, the session failed to reach a quorum due to the absence of a large number of MPs.