Maliki to Run for Third Term Following Court Decision
A Federal Supreme Court decision in Iraq has paved the way for standing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to run for a third term of office.
On Aug. 26, 2013, the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq announced that it had overturned a previous law, passed by parliament, that limits the president, prime minister and parliament speaker to two terms of office.
The law, which was passed by parliament on Jan. 26, 2013, had prevented Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from running for a third term as head of the government.
Judge Abdul Sattar Bayraktar told Al-Monitor, “The Federal Supreme Court invalidated the law, which was voted on by parliament and limited the terms of the president, prime minister and parliament speaker, under the pretense that it is a proposed law and not a draft law.”
There is a big difference between the two terms: Proposed laws are referred by MPs, while draft laws are submitted by the federal government, led by Maliki.
