Iraqi Parliament Puts Controversial Media Law on Hold
Due to controversial wording in its draft and a general outcry from the country’s media community, Iraq has not passed its Communications and Media Commission law.
On July 7, the Iraqi Council of Representatives did not vote to enact two controversial laws: the Communications and Media Commission of Iraq (CMC) law, and the information crimes law.
A senior source at the office of Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi told Al-Monitor, “Political differences between parliamentary blocs, the major objections by civil society organizations, and great pressures from journalists forced parliament to not enact the two laws.”
The CMC, which oversees the telecommunications sector in the country and regulates satellite broadcast, still works in accordance with the law that was prepared by Paul Bremer, the US civil administrator of Iraq after 2003. The CMC is trying to remove Bremer’s legacy and draft a new Iraqi law. Yet, there are suspicions that the new wording would impose additional restrictions on the work of the Iraqi media.
The source added, “The CMC and information crimes laws were sent back to the Iraqi government to be redrafted, and to examine the opposition's demands.”
