BAGHDAD — The idea of forming the Iraqi Supreme Strategic Policy Council has re-emerged nearly six years after first being put forward. Back then, the idea was part of what was called the Erbil Agreement in 2010, upon which the second government of Nouri al-Maliki was formed. However, political differences led the parliament to fail to form the council under the reasoning that there is no constitutional provision for it.

There have been recent discussions between parliamentary blocs to prepare a draft law on the Strategic Policy Council, following the announcement by Maliki on Aug. 23 that an agreement has been made with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to put the proposal back on the table.

During the meeting with PUK leaders, Maliki said, “We discussed what we had already discussed in the presence of President Fuad Masum regarding the formation of the Strategic Policy Council, which would bring together the leaders of the country and serve as an advisory board for the public institutions but not replace the constitutional institutions.”

Saadi Ahmad Bira, a member of the PUK's political bureau, said, “The main aim of our visit is to participate in the [preliminary] meeting, which is supposed to produce a policy council with political powers able to issue decisions regarding strategic issues.”