Ali Zuweid's Political Programme
Proposed legislation · State, Constitution, Justice, Rights and Governance
Governorates, Decentralisation and Allocation of Powers among Levels of Government Bill
A repeal-and-replacement bill re-establishing governorate law on the basis of administrative and fiscal, rather than political, decentralisation. It sets clear boundaries between federal and local powers, links transfers of powers to financing, staff, assets and accountability, and prevents overlapping decisions by ministries and governorates.
Executive Summary
The Iraqi Constitution organises governorates not incorporated into a region as decentralised units with broad administrative and financial powers, and makes the governorate council and governor part of the state's constitutional structure. The Federal Supreme Court has, however, established an important distinction: decentralisation in governorates is administrative rather than political, and governorate councils are elected local administrative bodies, not legislative authorities parallel to the Council of Representatives. The Court has also confirmed that these councils' existence is a constitutional fact that cannot be abolished, and that an elected council continuing beyond its term without a renewed electoral mandate conflicts with the principle of peaceful transfer of power. [1] [2]
The applicable Law No. (21) of 2008 has been amended repeatedly. Functions, departments and staffing establishments have been transferred between the centre and governorates, with some later returned to ministries. The resulting layers of provisions, decisions and agreements make it difficult for citizens, employees and oversight bodies to identify responsibility for services and financing. The Council of Representatives itself acknowledged the need to address these gaps: on 8 April 2026 it completed the first reading of a new proposed Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region Law. During August 2026, the competent committee continued reviewing definitions, allocation of powers, ministry–governorate relations, oversight, administrative units and the High Commission for Governorate Affairs. [3] [4] [5]
This Bill therefore adopts repeal and replacement rather than a fourth or fifth amendment to the old Law. It redefines the council as an elected local administrative body and preserves its constitutionally prescribed administrative and financial independence, while limiting “local regulations” to instruments of administrative regulation grounded in federal law. They must not become local legislation independently creating crimes or taxes or restricting rights.
Powers are allocated in four layers: exclusive federal powers in which governorates may not encroach; shared or cooperative areas identifying who sets policy and who delivers services; inherent local powers administered at governorate or district level; and delegated powers transferred under Article (123) of the Constitution by written agreement linking the function to funding, staff, assets and data. A “no unfunded mandates” principle is added so that responsibility is not transferred to a governorate while funding, staffing or decisions remain with the ministry.
The Bill treats local finance as a condition of decentralisation, not a political privilege. A published federal transfer formula reflects population, need, poverty, infrastructure gaps, revenue capacity and service costs, while taxes and fees remain subject to federal law. It also prohibits off-budget accounts and unregulated local borrowing and subjects contracts and assets to audit and publication.
The Bill establishes the High Commission for Coordination among Governorates as a coordination mechanism, not a ministry above governorates. It makes the Federal Supreme Court the final arbiter of jurisdictional disputes between the Federal Government and governorates under Article (93) of the Constitution. In Baghdad Governorate, the Law applies provisionally insofar as consistent with the capital's special constitutional status, pending the Capital Law prescribed by Article (124). [6] [7]
Constitutional and legal context
The Constitution combines a single federal state with decentralised local units. Article (116) provides that the federal system comprises a capital, regions, decentralised governorates and local administrations. Article (122/Second) grants governorates not incorporated into a region broad administrative and financial powers enabling them to manage their affairs according to administrative decentralisation. Article (122/Third) makes the governor elected by the governorate council the governorate's highest executive official. Paragraph Fifth establishes the council's independence from control by ministries and entities not attached to a ministry and its independent finances. [1]
At the same time, Article (110) reserves certain functions exclusively to federal authorities, while Articles (112) through (115) define areas of shared administration or cooperation and allocation of powers. Article (123) permits delegation of Federal Government powers to governorates, or vice versa, with both parties' consent. Article (93/Fourth and Fifth) gives the Federal Supreme Court jurisdiction over disputes between the Federal Government and governorates and among governorates themselves. [1]
Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region Law No. (21) of 2008 established the practical framework and subsequently underwent substantive amendments, most recently the Third Amendment published in Issue (4487) of the Iraqi Official Gazette in 2018. It redefined local departments and employees, reduced council numbers, amended transfers of powers and reorganised the relationship of several sectors with governorates. [8]
In 2019, Law No. (27) of 2019 ended the work of the governorate, district and subdistrict councils then in office. In challenges brought under Case 155/Federal/2019 and consolidated cases, the Federal Supreme Court held that governorate councils' existence is a constitutional fact that cannot be abolished by ordinary legislation, while also confirming that an elected council may not continue after its term expires. It further held that the governor is subject to parliamentary and administrative oversight within constitutional limits, and that the local executive operates within the state's general policy. [2]
Governorate councils returned to the electoral process through the Third Amendment to the Council of Representatives, Governorate and District Council Elections Law No. (12) of 2018, enacted by Law No. (4) of 2023, which regulated governorate council seats and periodic council elections. [9]
In 2026, reform moved from partial amendment to a comprehensive proposed law. The Council of Representatives completed the first reading on 8 April 2026. Its stated reasons included addressing gaps, regulating local governments' financial and administrative powers, and establishing and organising the High Commission for Governorate Affairs. The competent committee continued reviewing provisions during August of the same year. [3] [4] [5]
Practical disputes over transfers of powers continued into 2026. In Decision 132/Federal/2023, the Federal Supreme Court held that failure to transfer the Ministry of Agriculture's powers specified in Article (45/First/1 and 5) of the Governorates Law to the governorate after expiry of the statutory period constituted refusal to implement the provision and required an order compelling compliance. On 10 September 2026, the Council of Representatives' Regions Committee discussed with the Ministry of Agriculture the administrative, legal and financial effects of detaching and transferring directorates, stressing the need to address ministry–governorate overlap through amendment of the Governorates Law. [12] [13]
Legislative Gap
| Area | Problem | Response in the Bill |
|---|---|---|
| Council's Legal Nature | The old text describes the council in legislative terms, while the Federal Supreme Court has held that its role is administrative and financial within administrative decentralisation. | Define the council as an elected local administrative body with law-based local regulatory authority. |
| Allocation of Powers | Overlap between ministry and governorate, and successive decisions transferring departments and restoring their former affiliations. | Classify functions and require a national matrix and written transfer agreements. |
| Financing | Responsibility may be transferred without adequate resources. | “No unfunded mandates”: link every transfer to appropriations, staffing, assets and data. |
| Oversight | Confusion between parliamentary and administrative oversight and direct management of local services. | Define oversight tools and prohibit substitution for the local executive authority. |
| Districts | Lack of a stable framework following changes to election and local council laws. | Elected district councils and a district commissioner accountable to them within the governorate hierarchy. |
| Baghdad | Overlap between the governorate and Baghdad Municipality, with the constitutionally required Capital Law still absent. | A transitional rule preventing service duplication pending the Capital Law. |
| Data and Boundaries | Historical reliance on non-unified population and administrative datasets. | A national digital register of units and boundaries, using current official statistical data. |
| Dispute Resolution | Jurisdictional disagreements quickly become service disruptions or conflicting administrative correspondence. | A coordinated settlement process followed by the Federal Supreme Court within its constitutional jurisdiction. |
Proposed legislative policy
The Bill separates three questions often confused in practice: Who sets national policy? Who manages day-to-day services? And who pays the cost and is accountable for results? Transferring a directorate to a governorate is insufficient if financing, appointments, data and technical decisions remain with the ministry. Equally, a ministry should not remain accountable to Parliament for service outcomes when it lacks the means to deliver them.
The Bill therefore adopts neither “absolute decentralisation” nor “comprehensive recentralisation”. It applies subsidiarity: sovereign, national and cross-governorate functions remain federal; local services move towards governorates and districts; and mixed areas are governed by agreements and auditable accountability arrangements.
The Bill repeals and replaces Law No. (21) of 2008 because successive amendments and institutional changes have made reliance on the original Law as amended less clear than rebuilding the framework around the Constitution, Federal Supreme Court decisions and practical experience. This direction intersects with the legislative process begun by the Council of Representatives' reading of a comprehensive proposed law in 2026. [3]
Text of the bill
Proposed legislation
In the name of the people
Presidency of the Republic
Pursuant to the enactment of the Council of Representatives and the provisions of the Constitution, the following Law is promulgated:
Governorates, Decentralisation and Allocation of Powers among Levels of Government Law
Chapter One — Definitions and General Principles
Article (1) — Definitions
For the purposes of this Law, the following terms have the meanings specified:
- Governorate: A governorate not incorporated into a region.
- Council: The elected governorate council.
- Governor: The governorate's highest executive official.
- District council: The council elected for a district under election law.
- Administrative unit: A governorate, district or subdistrict, as applicable.
- Local department: An administrative or service body administratively and financially attached to the governorate under law or an effective transfer-of-powers agreement.
- Federal department in the governorate: A body belonging to a federal ministry or entity that retains its administrative and financial affiliation with the federal authority.
- Inherent governorate power: An administrative, executive or financial function entrusted by law to the governorate to exercise in its own name and on its own account.
- Delegated power: A power transferred temporarily, wholly or partially by agreement under Article (123) of the Constitution and this Law.
- Local service: A public service whose effects primarily fall within the governorate or district and which does not require unified federal administration under the Constitution or by its nature.
- High Commission: The High Commission for Coordination among Governorates governed by this Law.
Article (2) — Scope of application
This Law applies to governorates not incorporated into a region, their councils, administrations and administrative units, and to federal bodies insofar as it regulates their relations with those governorates, transfers of powers to them or coordination with them.
It does not apply to regional authorities except in matters where the Constitution or federal law requires coordination with governorates or the Federal Government.
Article (3) — Constitutional Basis
Governorates shall be organised on the administrative and fiscal decentralisation prescribed by the Constitution, preserving state unity, exclusive federal powers and separation of powers.
The governorate shall exercise its powers as a decentralised administrative unit. This Law does not create a local legislative authority parallel to the federal legislature.
Article (4) — Principle of Legality
Councils, governors and administrative units shall comply with the Constitution, federal laws, regulations in force and final judicial judgments. A local decision may not create a crime or custodial penalty, impose a tax or fee, or restrict a right or freedom except on a statutory basis.
Article (5) — Local Independence
The council shall have legal personality and administrative and financial independence within constitutional and statutory limits. In managing its internal affairs and exercising its statutory powers, it shall not be subject to control or supervision by a ministry or an entity not attached to a ministry.
This does not preclude constitutional, parliamentary, judicial or financial oversight, or administrative oversight of the local executive within the limits established by the Constitution and law.
Article (6) — Unity of General Policy
The governorate shall comply with the state's general policies adopted by the Council of Ministers within its constitutional powers, while retaining authority to select local implementation methods and priorities unless law or binding national policy provides otherwise.
Unity of general policy shall not be interpreted to withdraw a local power conferred by law or permit direct ministerial management of a local service without a legal basis.
Article (7) — Administrative Subsidiarity
A public function shall be assigned to the lowest administrative level capable of performing it efficiently, at reasonable cost and with clear accountability, unless the service's nature, equity among governorates, national security or economies of scale require higher-level management.
Article (8) — No Duplication of Powers
Federal and local bodies shall not exercise the same executive power in parallel over the same geographical and substantive scope without defining each body's responsibility. Where powers are shared, law or a powers agreement shall specify the decision-maker, implementing body, funding source and accountability route.
Article (9) — No Unfunded Mandates
No function may be transferred or new service assigned to a governorate without transferring the necessary financial and human resources, assets and data, or identifying a sustainable funding source sufficient to meet minimum service standards.
Article (10) — Equality among Residents
The governorate and administrative units shall ensure equal access to services and non-discrimination among districts, subdistricts, neighbourhoods and villages. Temporary positive measures for the most deprived areas may be adopted according to published objective indicators.
Article (11) — Administrative Rights of Components
Local administration shall respect the administrative, political, cultural and educational rights of the various components under the Constitution and applicable laws. Where practically needed, essential local services and documents shall be available in languages legally recognised within the administrative unit.
Chapter Two — Territorial Organisation and Administrative Units
Article (12) — Governorate Components
A governorate comprises districts; a district comprises subdistricts, villages and urban centres under the applicable administrative division. Governorates and districts shall have legal personality within statutory limits; a subdistrict is an executive administrative unit.
Article (13) — Establishment of a New Governorate
A new governorate may be established, or an existing governorate's boundaries changed, only by federal law based on a demographic, administrative, financial and economic study, after obtaining the views of the councils concerned and conducting public consultations in affected areas.
This Law may not be used to alter the constitutional status of areas subject to special constitutional procedures or resolve a boundary dispute outside constitutional mechanisms.
Article (14) — Establishment of Districts and Subdistricts
A district or subdistrict may be established, merged, or have its centre, name or boundaries changed by Council of Ministers decision on a reasoned governorate council proposal, following the views of the Ministries of Planning, Finance and Interior and relevant sectoral bodies, and completion of an administrative, financial and service feasibility study.
Article (15) — Criteria for Administrative Changes
Administrative changes shall consider population density, distance to service centres, geographical contiguity, transport networks, local social identity, financial capacity, administrative costs, service-delivery capability and effects on neighbouring units.
Article (16) — Local Consultation
No proposal to establish or merge an administrative unit or alter its boundaries shall be adopted before the preliminary study has been published for at least thirty days and at least one public hearing held in each affected unit.
Article (17) — National Register of Administrative Units
The Ministry of Planning, in coordination with governorates, shall establish a unified national digital register of administrative units, boundaries, centres and statistical codes. Once approved according to law, it shall constitute the official administrative reference.
Article (18) — Digital Boundaries
Administrative boundaries shall be recorded in the national register using digital maps and documented coordinates. No change unrecorded in the register shall be recognised after this Law enters into force, subject to constitutional and judicial constraints.
Article (19) — Administrative Unit Centres
Every governorate, district and subdistrict shall have a declared administrative centre. Branch service offices may be established without altering boundaries or creating a new administrative unit.
Article (20) — Baghdad Governorate and the Capital
This Law applies to Baghdad Governorate insofar as it does not conflict with Article (124) of the Constitution or special capital legislation once enacted.
Pending the Capital Law, the Council of Ministers shall, on the basis of an agreement between Baghdad Governorate and Baghdad Municipality, regulate operational boundaries for shared services, data exchange and prevention of duplicate projects, without prejudice to either body's statutory powers.
Article (21) — Premises and Assets upon Boundary Changes
A decision changing district or subdistrict boundaries shall include a transition plan for assets, employees, contracts, obligations, records and services. Debts and liabilities shall transfer only under an inventory and settlement record approved by the Ministry of Finance and Federal Board of Supreme Audit.
Article (22) — Continuity of Services
Establishing or merging an administrative unit shall not interrupt a public service or extinguish an acquired right of an employee, contractor or beneficiary. The former body shall continue managing the service until actual handover to the new body.
Article (23) — Villages and Local Communities
Villages and local communities shall be administered through mukhtars or local advisory committees under applicable laws. Elected councils parallel to the district council may be established only by law.
Chapter Three — Governorate Council
Article (24) — Council's Legal Nature
The governorate council is an elected local administrative body representing governorate residents and exercising the planning, oversight, administrative regulatory and financial powers conferred by the Constitution and law.
It is not a legislative authority in the constitutional sense applicable to the Council of Representatives or regional authorities.
Article (25) — Council Composition
The council comprises members elected under the applicable election law. That law shall determine seat numbers, women's and component representation, vacancy-filling procedures and ratification of results.
Article (26) — Electoral Term
The council's electoral term is four calendar years beginning on the date of its first session. It may not be extended by law or administrative decision except within constitutional limits and by final judicial judgment. Elections for the following term shall take place on the dates prescribed by election law.
Article (27) — First Session
The incumbent governor shall convene the elected council's first session within fifteen days of final ratification of results. If no invitation is issued, the president of the governorate's Federal Court of Appeal or their authorised representative shall issue it solely for convening purposes.
Article (28) — Election of Council Presidency
At its first session, the council shall elect a president and deputy by an absolute majority of its membership, through an open ballot unless election law requires secrecy. If no candidate obtains that majority, a second round shall be held between the two candidates receiving the most votes.
Article (29) — Internal Rules
Within sixty days, the council shall adopt internal rules governing sessions, committees, secretariat, oversight procedures, public participation, record retention and electronic publication, consistently with this Law.
Article (30) — Public Sessions
Council sessions shall be public. Agendas shall be published a suitable time beforehand, and minutes and voting results within seven days. A closed session may be held by reasoned decision when discussing legally protected confidential information. The reason for confidentiality and the decision's outcome shall be published without disclosing protected information.
Article (31) — Quorum and Voting
The council has a quorum when an absolute majority of its members is present. Decisions require a simple majority of those present unless this Law requires a special majority. A tied proposal shall be deemed rejected.
Article (32) — Committees
The council shall establish standing and temporary committees as needed, considering expertise, political proportionality and women's representation. A committee may not exercise executive power or issue a final decision reserved to the council.
Article (33) — Members' Rights
A member may obtain information and documents needed for their duties, submit proposals, questions and requests for hearings or questioning, and have dissent recorded in the minutes. Information may be withheld only on a written, appealable legal ground.
Article (34) — Members' Duties
Members shall attend, disclose interests, abstain from voting where a direct personal interest conflicts, refrain from interfering in appointments, contracts or implementation outside their oversight powers, and preserve legally protected information.
Article (35) — Remuneration and Benefits
A council member shall receive monthly remuneration set by law or under a uniform scale approved in the public budget. Membership shall confer no special pension privilege or allocation of a vehicle, property or personal protection except where demonstrably necessary and under general laws.
Article (36) — Full-Time Service and Incompatible Offices
Membership constitutes a public service assignment. Election and public service laws shall specify full-time requirements and incompatibility with other jobs or offices. Membership may not be combined with an executive office subject to council oversight.
Article (37) — Termination of Membership
Membership ends upon death, accepted resignation, loss of an essential statutory qualification, a final judgment entailing disqualification, or unjustified absence reaching the threshold specified in the internal rules after warning and hearing the member.
Article (38) — Membership Investigation
The council may terminate membership on conduct or procedural grounds only after an impartial investigation committee has notified the member of violations and enabled a defence. The decision shall be reasoned and appealable before the competent court.
Article (39) — Council's General Powers
The council shall approve the local development plan, proposed local budget, investment and service priorities, and local administrative regulations within statutory delegation; oversee the governor and local departments; elect the governor under this Law; and exercise other statutory powers.
Article (40) — Local Regulations and Decisions
The council may issue general administrative regulations, instructions and decisions governing local affairs within governorate competence where grounded in federal law. They shall not create obligations, penalties or taxes beyond that legal basis.
Local regulations shall be published in an official governorate gazette or platform and shall not take effect before publication, except internal measures that do not affect third parties.
Article (41) — Local Plan
The council shall approve a medium-term local development plan of at least three years, linked to national development plans and specifying service objectives, priority projects and measurable outcomes. It shall be reviewed annually with the budget.
Article (42) — Local Budget
The council shall discuss the governor's proposed governorate budget, amend it within the financial ceiling and federal rules, and submit it under prescribed deadlines and procedures for inclusion in the federal public budget or implementation through authorised local resources.
Article (43) — Oversight of Implementation
The council shall exercise oversight through periodic reports, questions, public hearings, appearances before it, formal questioning and requests for Federal Board of Supreme Audit examination. It may not issue direct executive orders to employees or contractors.
Article (44) — Formal Questioning
A request formally to question the governor, a deputy or a local department head shall be submitted by at least one fifth of council members, specifying facts, questions and documents. The person questioned shall receive at least seven days to prepare unless a justified urgent circumstance exists.
Article (45) — Official Appearances and Public Hearings
The council may invite officials of federal departments operating in the governorate to hearings on matters connected with local services. This shall neither place them administratively under the council nor interfere with the federal chain of command.
Article (46) — Proposals for Federal Legislation
The council may refer legislative proposals and recommendations to the Council of Representatives and Government through constitutional channels. This does not constitute exercising federal legislative power.
Article (47) — Relations among Governorates
The council may approve inter-governorate cooperation agreements for shared services and regional projects within Iraq, provided they do not create a new federal legal person, an international obligation or public debt without a legal basis.
Article (48) — Council Dissolution and Early Elections
The council may not be abolished or its constitutional existence ended. It may resolve to dissolve itself by a two-thirds majority after a public session dedicated to that purpose. Early elections shall then be held within the period prescribed by election law, without prejudice to continuity of executive administration.
Inability to convene or a political dispute shall not transfer council powers to the governor or Council of Ministers except under a temporary, specific statutory provision or judicial judgment.
Chapter Four — Governor and Governorate Executive Administration
Article (49) — Governor
The governor is the governorate's highest executive official, elected by the council and exercising powers within the Constitution, law, local plan and budget, and the state's general policy.
Article (50) — Governor Candidacy Requirements
A governor candidate must be an Iraqi with full legal capacity, satisfy statutory integrity and non-conviction requirements, hold at least a first university degree or equivalent public administrative experience specified by law, and submit an asset and conflict-of-interest declaration and an executive programme for the governorate.
Article (51) — Election of the Governor
The council shall elect the governor within thirty days of its first session by an absolute majority of its membership. If no candidate obtains that majority in the first round, a second round shall be held between the two candidates with the most votes, and the candidate obtaining an absolute majority shall win.
Article (52) — Deputy Governors
The governor shall have no more than two deputies, selected by an absolute council majority on the governor's nomination, with regard to competence and balanced allocation of responsibilities and without turning the office into a partisan administrative entitlement.
Article (53) — Oath
Before taking office, the governor, deputies, council president, deputy president and members shall take the statutory oath before the president of the governorate's Federal Court of Appeal or their authorised representative, in the form specified by law.
Article (54) — Governor's Powers
The governor shall manage the local executive apparatus, implement the plan and budget, supervise local departments, conclude contracts within financial powers, manage governorate property, represent it before courts and third parties, issue executive orders and instructions, monitor service levels, and manage local emergency response within the state system.
Article (55) — General Policy and Local Flexibility
The governor shall comply with general policy adopted by the Council of Ministers and may, within local competence, determine priorities, implementation methods and resource allocation among administrative units according to published criteria.
Article (56) — Relations with Federal Departments
The governor may not issue administrative orders to federal departments not transferred to the governorate. The governor may request information, hold coordination meetings, monitor their compliance with national service plans within the governorate and report violations to the competent minister or federal body.
Article (57) — Security and Public Order
As the highest local executive official, the governor shall coordinate bodies responsible for internal security and emergency services within the governorate according to their laws and national security plans. These powers do not extend to commanding the armed forces, Counter-Terrorism Service or federal intelligence and security agencies, or interfering in federally commanded operations.
Article (58) — Local Appointments
The governor shall appoint heads of local departments within the governorate staffing establishment through competitive, transparent, merit-based procedures under public service laws. Senior local officeholders shall attend a council hearing before final appointment where required by law.
Article (59) — Federal Offices in the Governorate
Appointment of heads of federal branches and departments remains with their federal authorities. The council and governor may submit a reasoned professional performance assessment to the minister or competent body. It shall not be binding unless a special law provides otherwise.
Article (60) — Governorate Administrative Structure
The governor shall propose the organisational structure of the governorate office and local departments within authorised staffing and appropriations. The council shall approve it after reviewing functional overlap, and it shall be adopted under general administrative organisation and public service rules.
Article (61) — Delegation within the Governorate
The governor may delegate some administrative powers to deputies, district commissioners or local department heads by written decision specifying scope and duration. Powers which the law requires to be exercised personally may not be delegated.
Article (62) — Performance Reports
The governor shall submit a quarterly report to the council on plan and budget implementation, major contracts, service levels, complaints and risks, and publish a public summary on the governorate's official platform.
Article (63) — Governor's Political Accountability
The council may withdraw confidence from the governor following procedurally compliant formal questioning and by an absolute majority of its membership. The decision shall be accompanied by election of a successor at the same session or within no more than fifteen days to ensure administrative continuity.
Article (64) — Removal on Legal Grounds
The governor shall be removed by operation of law upon loss of an essential office qualification, a final conviction for a felony or misdemeanour involving moral turpitude, or established permanent incapacity to perform duties. The council shall issue a decision recording the circumstance, appealable before the competent court.
Article (65) — Governor's Resignation
The governor shall submit resignation to the council. It shall be deemed accepted upon an absolute-majority vote or thirty days without determination, unless withdrawn beforehand. The governor shall continue in a caretaker capacity until a successor is elected.
Article (66) — Acting Governor
Upon a vacancy, the first deputy shall temporarily perform the governor's duties, or the second deputy if the first cannot, for no longer than thirty days except as necessary to complete election of a new governor under the law.
Article (67) — Caretaker Administration
After expiry of the term or withdrawal of confidence, caretaker authority shall be confined to daily and necessary business ensuring continuity of public services and implementation of existing contracts and budgets. Permanent senior appointments and new strategic commitments are prohibited except for an urgent, reasoned necessity.
Chapter Five — Districts, Subdistricts and Administration Closer to Citizens
Article (68) — District Council
Each district shall have a council elected under election law to exercise oversight, local planning and service prioritisation within the district. It shall exercise no legislative or financial powers beyond those delegated by law or the governorate council.
Article (69) — District Council Term
A district council's term is four years. The principles governing periodic elections, public sessions, conflicts of interest and termination of governorate council membership shall apply as appropriate to its nature.
Article (70) — District Council Powers
The district council shall approve the district service plan, prioritise projects, oversee the district commissioner and local departments operating within the district, hold public hearings and propose a subsidiary budget for submission to the governorate.
Article (71) — District Commissioner
The district commissioner is the district's executive head, elected by an absolute majority of the district council from candidates meeting competence and integrity requirements. The governor shall issue the appointment order within seven days of notification of the result.
Article (72) — District Commissioner's Powers
The district commissioner shall implement the district plan and approved services budget, coordinate local departments, monitor implementation of governorate decisions, manage delegated assets and services, and report monthly to the governor and quarterly to the district council.
Article (73) — District Commissioner's Accountability
The district council may withdraw confidence from the district commissioner following formal questioning and by an absolute majority. It shall notify the governor to appoint an acting commissioner pending election of a successor within thirty days.
Article (74) — Subdistrict Director
A subdistrict shall be managed by a director appointed by the governor through an open competition based on competence and experience, after obtaining the district council's views. The appointment shall be subject to periodic assessment under the public service system.
Article (75) — Subdistrict Responsibilities
Subdistrict administration shall monitor daily services, receive complaints, maintain local records, oversee project implementation and coordinate with villages and mukhtars. It shall not impose a revenue charge or conclude a contract beyond delegated limits.
Article (76) — Citizen Service Centres
According to need and population density, the governorate shall establish integrated service centres in districts and subdistricts to bring together local and federal services deliverable from one location or digitally.
Article (77) — District-Level Participation
The district council shall hold a public session at least every six months to present progress on the plan, projects and local budget. Proposals and responses shall be documented and published.
Article (78) — Allocation of Appropriations within the Governorate
Service and project appropriations shall be distributed among districts under a published formula considering population, poverty, infrastructure gaps, service-delivery costs and the scale of ongoing projects. Withholding funds or preferential treatment for political or electoral reasons is prohibited.
Chapter Six — Allocation of Powers between Federal Authorities and Governorates
Article (79) — Allocation Rule
Powers shall be determined by the Constitution, federal laws and the nature of the public function. The governorate shall exercise its prescribed administrative and financial powers in areas not exclusive to federal authorities, without creating local legislative competence beyond statutory limits.
Article (80) — Exclusive Federal Powers
A governorate may not exercise exclusive federal powers, particularly foreign policy, diplomatic representation and sovereign borrowing; national security and the armed forces; fiscal, customs and monetary policy; regulation of trade across governorate boundaries; the state public budget; weights and measures; nationality and residency; spectrum and postal policy; policies concerning water sources outside Iraq; the general population census; and all other constitutionally exclusive matters.
Article (81) — Areas of Constitutional Cooperation
Antiquities, principal electricity systems, environmental protection, development and general planning, health policy, educational policy, internal water resources, and customs insofar as the Constitution and sectoral laws permit shall be administered through clear cooperation frameworks defining each level's role.
Article (82) — Inherent Local Powers
Subject to sectoral laws, inherent local powers include management of local municipal services, non-federal local roads, lighting, streets, parks, local markets, municipal waste, local spatial planning, local recreational, cultural and sporting facilities, local economic development, governorate property and citizen-facing administrative services.
Article (83) — Health
General health policy, national standards, accreditation, medicines and health insurance shall be determined federally under the relevant laws. Management of health facilities and preventive and local services may be assigned to a governorate by sectoral law or a transfer-of-powers agreement specifying financing, staffing, standards and performance indicators.
Article (84) — General Education
General educational policy, curricula, national standards and public examinations shall remain within the competent federal framework. Management of buildings, maintenance, support services and certain school administrative functions may be assigned to a governorate by law or an agreement clearly specifying financing and responsibility.
Article (85) — Agriculture and Veterinary Services
Federal bodies shall handle national agricultural policy, plant and veterinary quarantine, and standards with cross-governorate effects. The governorate shall handle local agricultural development, extension, services and projects designated local by law or transferred by agreement.
Article (86) — Roads and Transport
The governorate shall manage local roads and bridges and urban and local transport confined to its boundaries under sectoral laws. National transport networks, international and inter-governorate roads, and national standards remain with the competent federal bodies.
Article (87) — Water and Sanitation
The governorate shall manage water and sanitation services assigned by sectoral laws or transfer agreements within national water-resource policy and health and environmental standards. It may not take measures harming another governorate's share or a federal water system.
Article (88) — Housing and Urban Planning
The governorate shall undertake local urban planning, land-use management, building permits and related services within national laws and codes. National housing policy and general standards remain with the competent federal bodies.
Article (89) — Environment
The governorate shall implement national environmental policy within its boundaries, manage cleanliness programmes and local monitoring of pollution sources specified by law, and refer violations with regional or national effects to the competent federal body.
Article (90) — Culture and Antiquities
The governorate shall manage cultural centres, events and local heritage not federally classified, and cooperate with federal authorities in managing and protecting antiquities, archaeological sites and cultural property under the Constitution and special laws.
Article (91) — Social Services and Labour
The governorate may implement local protection, social service, training and employment programmes within national policies and uniform eligibility rules, without creating permanent financial benefit systems that are unfunded or conflict with federal law.
Article (92) — Local Economic Development
The governorate may prepare a local economic strategy and develop areas, markets and services supporting investment and small enterprises. It may not regulate foreign or inter-governorate trade or grant tax or customs exemptions outside federal law.
Article (93) — Public Land
The governorate shall manage land and property legally transferred to it and may allocate them to local projects under urban planning, transparency and investment rules. It may not dispose of federal property not transferred to it or land subject to special statutory restrictions.
Article (94) — Unclassified Powers
When a new, unclassified public function emerges, the competent body shall be identified by reference to the Constitution, the function's effects and subsidiarity. The High Commission may issue a non-binding interpretive recommendation. Final determination remains with the Federal Supreme Court where a constitutional dispute arises between levels of government.
Article (95) — Functional Allocation Matrix
Within one hundred and eighty days of this Law's entry into force, the Council of Ministers shall, following High Commission approval and State Council review, issue regulations containing a detailed matrix allocating administrative and service functions across sectors, without altering any constitutionally or statutorily established power.
Chapter Seven — Transfers of Powers, Delegation and Coordination among Levels
Article (96) — Forms of Transfer
Under Article (123) of the Constitution, powers may be transferred between the Federal Government and a governorate by temporary delegation, permanent administrative transfer by law, joint management of a specific service, or assignment to the governorate of a federally funded programme with specified financing.
Article (97) — Transfer-of-Powers Agreement
Delegation or agreed transfer shall be made through a written administrative contract concluded by the competent minister and governor after governorate council and Council of Ministers approval. It shall define the function, duration, resources, assets, employees, data, standards, liability, termination mechanism and dispute resolution.
Article (98) — Readiness Assessment
Transfer shall be preceded by assessment of institutional and financial capacity, oversight systems, staffing, assets and data. Lack of readiness may not permanently justify withholding a local power; remedial action shall include a capacity-building plan and reassessment date.
Article (99) — Resource Transfer
The entire identifiable financial appropriation, necessary assets, ongoing contracts, records and employees assigned to the function shall transfer with it, under inventory and audit records preventing duplicate financing.
Article (100) — Employee Rights upon Transfer
A transfer of powers shall not reduce an employee's salary, grade or pension rights. Staffing transfers shall ensure service continuity, equal opportunity and protection against arbitrary staff transfers.
Article (101) — Termination of Delegation
A delegation may not be terminated before expiry except by mutual agreement, for a substantiated material breach after a suitable rectification period, or by judicial decision. Termination shall include a reverse-handover plan for resources and services without interruption.
Article (102) — High Commission for Coordination among Governorates
The High Commission for Coordination among Governorates shall be reorganised as a permanent mechanism coordinating the Federal Government and governorates. It shall not replace ministries or councils or withdraw a statutory power.
Article (103) — High Commission Composition
The Prime Minister or their authorised representative shall chair the High Commission. It shall include the Ministers of Finance, Planning and Interior, relevant ministers according to the subject, governors, the General Coordinator for Governorate Affairs, and council representatives when their affairs are discussed. Its internal rules shall determine procedures without creating new special-grade posts except by law.
Article (104) — High Commission Powers
The High Commission shall resolve implementation difficulties before they become judicial disputes, monitor transfers of powers, coordinate national and local standards, review federal policies' effects on governorates, propose legislative development and publish an annual decentralisation report.
Article (105) — Commission Secretariat
The General Coordinator for Governorate Affairs shall manage the High Commission's technical secretariat under a structure approved by the Council of Ministers. The secretariat shall use existing resources and bodies wherever possible to avoid duplicate administrative structures.
Article (106) — Sectoral Coordination Councils
The High Commission may establish temporary sectoral coordination groups comprising relevant ministries and governorates to address water, environment, transport, health or other matters. These groups shall have neither legal personality nor independent authority to issue binding regulatory decisions.
Chapter Eight — Local Finance, Resources and Property
Article (107) — Principles of Local Finance
Governorate finances shall be managed according to unity, comprehensiveness, transparency, fiscal discipline and equity among administrative units, consistently with the Federal Financial Management Law, the public budget and related legislation.
Article (108) — Revenue Sources
Governorate resources comprise federal transfers, its constitutional and statutory share of federal revenue, legally authorised local revenue, service charges, property income, lawfully accepted grants and donations, and any other resource prescribed by federal law.
Article (109) — Taxes and Fees
Neither the governorate nor council may impose a new tax or fee by local decision. It may set service charges or fee rates within a scope and limits prescribed by federal law, publishing the basis and costs underlying them.
Article (110) — Local Revenue
Local revenue shall be recorded in Public Treasury accounts allocated to the governorate. Off-budget funds and parallel bank accounts may be established only by law. Revenue shall accrue to the governorate under budget rules and may not be used outside public purposes.
Article (111) — Federal Transfers
General transfers to governorates shall be distributed through a published national formula considering population, need, poverty, infrastructure gaps, local revenue capacity, service-delivery costs, area and exceptional circumstances. It shall be reviewed periodically using current official data.
Article (112) — General Commission for Monitoring the Allocation of Federal Revenues
The General Commission for Monitoring the Allocation of Federal Revenues shall perform its constitutional and statutory duties to verify equitable allocation and transparency. The Ministries of Finance and Planning and governorates shall supply necessary data, without establishing a parallel oversight body.
Article (113) — Conditional and Unconditional Transfers
The budget shall distinguish general unconditional transfers financing local functions from conditional transfers for specified national programmes. All local funding may not be converted into conditional grants in a way that empties financial independence of substance.
Article (114) — District Allocations
The governorate shall publish a formula distributing operating and investment appropriations among districts. The council and Federal Board of Supreme Audit shall review it for sound criteria and non-discrimination.
Article (115) — Multi-Year Budget
The governorate shall prepare a medium-term expenditure framework covering at least three years and linked to its local plan. Annual appropriations remain subject to the Public Budget Law.
Article (116) — Investment Projects
No new investment project shall be included before completion of a preliminary feasibility study and estimates of operating and maintenance costs, identification of financing and the beneficiary body's responsibility. Priority shall go to completing viable ongoing projects before appropriations are dispersed.
Article (117) — Borrowing and Guarantees
A governorate may not borrow domestically or abroad, issue bonds, provide a sovereign guarantee or pledge federal revenue except under federal law and Ministry of Finance approval, without threatening state fiscal sustainability.
Article (118) — Procurement and Contracts
Governorate procurement and contracts shall comply with federal public procurement law and applicable regulations, using open competition and electronic publication of tenders, awards, contracts and material amendments, while protecting legally confidential information.
Article (119) — Governorate Property
The governorate shall maintain a unified digital register of its land, real estate, vehicles and fixed and movable assets. An annual inventory shall be reconciled with final accounts.
Article (120) — Disposal of Property
Governorate property may be sold, leased or invested only through competitive procedures and independent valuation, unless law permits allocation for a specified public or social purpose. Material decisions, asset details, values and beneficiaries shall be published.
Chapter Nine — Transparency, Accountability, Oversight and Dispute Resolution
Article (121) — Open Local Platform
Each governorate shall establish an official electronic platform publishing regulations, general decisions, council minutes, plans, budgets, implementation rates, major contracts, project maps, service indicators, contact and complaints information, in searchable and reusable formats wherever possible.
Article (122) — Open Data
Local administrative data shall be public by default. Publication may be restricted only to protect privacy, security, investigative confidentiality or legally protected commercial secrets. Labelling information “internal” or “confidential” shall not substitute for a legal basis.
Article (123) — Participation in Planning and Budgeting
Draft local plans, major projects and proposed budgets shall be published sufficiently before adoption, with public hearings. A table shall be published identifying substantive proposals, whether adopted, and reasons for acceptance or rejection.
Article (124) — Local Petitions and Initiatives
Governorate residents may submit collective petitions to the council. Internal rules shall set a reasonable threshold requiring the relevant committee to discuss them publicly, without converting petitions into binding referendums outside cases prescribed by law.
Article (125) — Administrative Complaints
The governorate shall establish a unified complaints and review system specifying response and escalation deadlines. Using it shall not prejudice access to courts or oversight bodies.
Article (126) — Conflicts of Interest
The governor, deputies, council members and senior local officeholders shall disclose interests and assets under applicable law and refrain from participating in decisions conferring a direct private benefit on themselves, relatives or partners.
Article (127) — Prevention of Influence Abuse
Local officials may not use their position to influence tenders, appointments, land allocations, licences or contracts, or direct public resources towards partisan or electoral purposes.
Article (128) — Federal Board of Supreme Audit Oversight
The accounts of the governorate, council, administrative units and local departments shall be subject to Federal Board of Supreme Audit oversight and audit under its Law. The local body shall publish a summary of corrective action taken on final findings.
Article (129) — Commission of Integrity and Public Prosecution
Local oversight shall not prejudice the powers of the Federal Commission of Integrity, Public Prosecution or other investigative and oversight bodies. The governorate shall refer suspected crimes, illicit enrichment or manipulation of public funds to the competent authority.
Article (130) — Parliamentary Oversight
The Council of Representatives shall exercise constitutional oversight of the federal executive and implementation of governorate-related laws and policies. It may monitor councils and governors through means that do not become direct management of local services or substitution for elected local bodies.
Article (131) — Administrative Oversight
The Council of Ministers and ministries shall oversee implementation of general policy, federal departments and delegated powers within the law. Such oversight may not abolish the council's administrative and financial independence or withdraw an inherent governorate power without a legislative basis.
Article (132) — Review of Local Decisions
Any interested person may challenge a local administrative decision before the administrative judiciary or competent court according to its subject within statutory periods. A stay of execution may be requested where its conditions are met.
Article (133) — Jurisdictional Disputes
A dispute over powers between the Federal Government and a governorate, or between two governorates, shall begin with an exchange of legal memoranda and a settlement attempt within the High Commission over thirty days. If unresolved, either party may approach the Federal Supreme Court within its constitutional jurisdiction. The disputed service shall not be suspended except where necessary or by judicial decision.
Article (134) — Enforcement of Judicial Judgments
Councils, governors, ministries and departments shall implement final judicial judgments and decisions concerning powers or local decisions within statutory periods. Unlawful refusal constitutes a violation attracting accountability.
Article (135) — Performance Indicators
Governorates shall adopt a limited set of service, spending and implementation indicators for comparison and improvement, not to justify discriminatory financing. The Ministry of Planning shall issue a uniform measurement methodology in consultation with governorates.
Article (136) — Independent Evaluation
Every two years, the Ministry of Planning, in cooperation with the Federal Board of Supreme Audit and High Commission, shall evaluate decentralisation's effects on service quality, cost, equity and accountability. The report and recommendations shall be published.
Chapter Ten — Transitional and Final Provisions
Article (137) — Continuation of Existing Councils
Governorate councils and governors in office when this Law enters into force shall continue until their lawful terms end. Its provisions shall apply from entry into force insofar as they do not retrospectively alter election conditions or terms of office.
Article (138) — District Council Elections
District council elections shall be completed under election law within no more than eighteen months of this Law's entry into force if not already held. They may coincide with the nearest local election provided the deadline is not exceeded.
Article (139) — Continuation of Existing Administrations
Existing district and subdistrict administrations shall continue until institutions are formed or officials appointed under this Law. Previous decisions and contracts remain effective unless lawfully revoked or amended.
Article (140) — Review of Previous Transfers of Powers
Within twenty-four months of entry into force, the Federal Government and governorates shall review all previous transfer decisions and agreements, identifying responsibility, financing, staffing, assets and data for every function. Overlaps shall be ended through documented decisions or agreements.
Article (141) — Settlement of Health, Education and Service Staffing Arrangements
Staff and departments whose affiliation shifted between ministries and governorates in previous years shall be reviewed under applicable sectoral laws. They may not be transferred again solely by administrative instructions without a legal basis and a financing and handover plan.
Article (142) — Continuity of the High Commission
The High Commission for Coordination among Governorates, General Coordinator and existing secretariat shall continue their duties until their internal rules are aligned with this Law within one hundred and twenty days.
Article (143) — Regulations and Instructions
The Council of Ministers and competent authorities shall issue implementing regulations and instructions within one hundred and eighty days of publication. These may not amend the allocation of powers established by the Constitution or law.
Article (144) — Continuation of Previous Regulations
Regulations, instructions and decisions issued under Governorates Law No. (21) of 2008, as amended, shall remain effective insofar as consistent with this Law until repealed or replaced, for no longer than two years unless a specific provision permits longer to issue a replacement.
Article (145) — Repeal of the Previous Law
Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region Law No. (21) of 2008, as amended, is repealed from this Law's entry into force. Valid legal effects arising under it remain unless this Law or a judicial judgment provides otherwise.
Article (146) — Repeal of Conflicting Provisions
Any provision conflicting with this Law shall be repealed or amended to remove the conflict. Repeal shall not extend to special sectoral laws except by express provision or where reconciliation is impossible under interpretive rules.
Article (147) — Priority in Administrative Application
Where federal or local administrative instructions or orders conflict with this Law, this Law shall prevail. The conflicting subordinate measure shall be suspended until corrected or judicially determined.
Article (148) — Periodic Legislative Review
Three years after entry into force, the Government shall submit an implementation report to the Council of Representatives covering the effects of powers allocation, financing, disputes and service levels. Legislative amendments may be proposed on the basis of actual data.
Article (149) — Entry into Force
This Law enters into force ninety days after publication in the Official Gazette, except matters assigned a special transitional period herein.
Statement of reasons
To implement constitutional provisions on the federal system, administrative decentralisation and the administrative and financial powers of governorates not incorporated into a region; define federal–local relations to prevent overlap and duplication; ensure that powers transfer together with resources, staffing, assets and data; strengthen elected councils' planning and oversight role within their administrative nature; secure periodic elections and continuity of public services; regulate local finance, transparency, oversight and jurisdictional dispute resolution; and replace Law No. (21) of 2008, as amended, with a unified legislative framework, this Law is enacted.
Explanatory memorandum
1. Why a New Law Rather than a Fourth Amendment?
The current Law has passed through distinct political and administrative phases: expanded transfers of powers, reattachment of sectors, changes to local councils, suspension of councils and their subsequent re-election. In 2026, the Council of Representatives itself turned to a comprehensive proposed law rather than amendment of an article or chapter, making repeal and replacement clearer and safer in application. [3] [4]
2. Correcting the Concept of “Local Legislation”
Governorates possess broad powers, but the Federal Supreme Court has held that a governorate council is a local administrative body and that the Constitution did not entrust it with legislative powers. The Bill therefore permits local regulations, instructions and decisions where authorised by law, while preventing them from becoming an independent source of crimes, taxes or restrictions on rights. [2]
3. Oversight without Tutelage
Article (122/Fifth) prevents a governorate council from being subject to ministerial control, while the Court confirms that administrative decentralisation does not mean political independence from the state and that the governor works within general policy under administrative, parliamentary and judicial oversight. The Bill separates oversight of legality and performance from day-to-day administration: the ministry does not replace the council, and the council does not directly command federal departments. [1] [2]
4. Powers and Funding in One Document
One reason for weak decentralisation is that a transfer was sometimes understood merely as transferring an administrative signature. The Bill requires one package: function + appropriation + staffing + asset + contract + data + service standard + accountable body. A year after transfer, the audit body or citizen can thus ask one entity to account for the result.
5. Districts as a Nearby Implementation Level
The Bill reorganises the district council and commissioner while retaining the subdistrict as an executive unit, consistent with the current electoral approach covering district councils. It avoids recreating layers of small councils that could increase costs without real powers. [9]
6. Baghdad
The Constitution requires a special Capital Law, which remained incomplete through 2026. Local authorities continue to emphasise the need for legislation defining the relationship between Baghdad Governorate and Baghdad Municipality. This Bill therefore does not attempt to subsume the Capital Law; it establishes an interim rule preventing duplicate services and contracts until that Law is enacted. [6] [7]
7. Transfers of Powers: Text and Implementation
Disputes over transferring agricultural powers show that the issue is not merely declaring competence, but the timing of transfer and its connection to staffing, financing, assets, general policy and national service standards. The Bill therefore makes transfer a fully specified legal process, preventing responsibility from remaining divided between a body controlling decisions and another bearing service outcomes. [12] [13]
Alignment with Existing Legislation
| Legislation or Framework | Relationship to the Bill | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region Law No. 21 of 2008, as amended | Existing framework | Repeal and replacement while preserving valid legal effects. |
| Council of Representatives, Governorate and District Council Elections Law No. 12 of 2018, as amended | Seat numbers, elections, ratification and vacancy filling | Remains the specific election law; the Bill refers to it rather than repeating polling details. |
| Federal Financial Management Law | Budget, Treasury and accounts | Applies to local finance, with transfers and local resources established in this Bill. |
| General Commission for Monitoring the Allocation of Federal Revenues Law No. 55 of 2017 | Equitable resource allocation | The Bill retains the existing Commission and prevents parallel financial oversight. |
| High Commission for Coordination among Governorates Internal Rules No. 1 of 2022 and their 2023 Amendment | Federal–local coordination | Reorganised within 120 days on an explicit statutory basis and confined to coordination. |
| Public Service, Procurement, Integrity and Federal Board of Supreme Audit Laws | Staffing, contracts and oversight | General rules remain effective and apply to the governorate as a public body. |
| Sectoral Laws on Health, Education, Water, Environment, Transport and Other Areas | Define policy, standards and specific powers | Specific sectoral provisions prevail in an express conflict, with functional allocation reviewed through a national matrix. |
Transitional Provisions and Implementation Requirements
First priority: Within 120 days, align the High Commission for Coordination among Governorates rules and approve a standard transfer-of-powers agreement.
Second priority: Within 180 days, issue a national matrix allocating administrative and service functions, linking each to decision-making, financing and accountability.
Third priority: Within 24 months, review all previous transfers of powers, particularly sectors whose departments shifted between ministries and governorates.
Fourth priority: Complete district councils under election law within the transitional period, without extending expired elected councils.
Fifth priority: Build a unified digital register of administrative units and boundaries and local assets, linked to official statistics, budgets and projects.
Financial and Implementation Implications
The Bill does not envisage an extensive new government apparatus. The High Commission for Coordination already exists with established internal rules. Its principal institutional effect is therefore to redefine that body's powers and secretariat rather than establish an institution from scratch. [10]
The principal transition costs will arise from digitising boundary and asset registers, standardising budget and contract publication platforms, preparing the functional allocation matrix, reviewing staff and asset transfers, and completing district council elections if not already held. Published public sources lack sufficient detailed data for a reliable cost estimate without false precision. The Bill therefore requires the Ministries of Finance and Planning to prepare a detailed implementation cost estimate before each transfer of powers or establishment of an administrative unit.
The most important medium-term fiscal effect is not necessarily higher spending but restructuring expenditure: reducing duplicate functions between ministries and governorates, linking funding to accountability, and improving appropriation distribution among governorates and districts through a published formula. No “saving” may be recorded in advance of measuring the actual effects of eliminating duplication.
Relevant Principles of Decentralised Administration
Iraq need not copy another country's model: its constitutional framework is distinctive and constrained by Federal Supreme Court decisions. Nevertheless, effective decentralisation systems share practical principles adoptable without importing a different political structure: clear responsibilities at each level, subsidiarity, funding proportionate to functions, prevention of unfunded mandates, publication of performance data, and formal channels for resolving jurisdictional disputes before litigation.
The Bill uses these principles as administrative tools while retaining Iraq's constitutional boundaries: governorates are not regions, possess no regional legislative authority, sovereign powers remain federal, and the Federal Supreme Court remains responsible for resolving disputes among levels of government.
Sources and references
- Constitution of the Republic of Iraq, 2005, particularly Articles 93, 110–116 and 121–125. Iraqi Council of Representatives. Official text.
- Federal Supreme Court, Decision 155/Federal/2019 and Consolidated Cases and 5/Federal/2021, principles of administrative decentralisation, administrative nature of governorate councils, periodic elections and oversight. Court decisions database.
- Iraqi Council of Representatives, Session of 8 April 2026, completion of the first reading of the proposed Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region Law. Source.
- Iraqi Council of Representatives, Regions Committee, 10 August 2026, discussion of definitions, shared powers, federal–governorate relations and council mechanisms. Source.
- Iraqi Council of Representatives, Regions Committee, 13 August 2026, review of oversight of federal departments, administrative units, land and the High Commission for Governorate Affairs. Source.
- Constitution, Article 124, Baghdad's special status and the requirement to regulate the capital by law. Official text.
- Baghdad Governorate, 28 January and 17 February 2026, continuing need for a Capital Law regulating powers and relations with Baghdad Municipality. First source, Second source.
- Ministry of Justice, Iraqi Official Gazette, Issue 4487 of 2018, Third Amendment to Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region Law No. 21 of 2008. Official issue announcement.
- Ministry of Justice, Iraqi Official Gazette, Issue 4718, 8 May 2023, Law No. 4 of 2023, Third Amendment to the Council of Representatives, Governorate and District Council Elections Law No. 12 of 2018. Iraqi Official Gazette PDF.
- Ministry of Justice, Iraqi Official Gazette, Issue 4722, 29 May 2023, First Amendment to High Commission for Coordination among Governorates Internal Rules No. 1 of 2022. Iraqi Official Gazette PDF.
- Iraqi Council of Representatives, 17 August 2026, meeting of the Speaker and governors discussing transfers of powers, revenues and amendments to the Governorates Law. Source.
- Federal Supreme Court, Decision 132/Federal/2023, compelling transfer of certain Ministry of Agriculture powers to governorates under Article (45/First/1 and 5) of the Governorates Law. Court decisions database.
- Iraqi Council of Representatives, Regions Committee, 10 September 2026, discussion of transferring agriculture directorates, the administrative, legal and financial effects of detachment, and the need to address overlap in the Governorates Law. Source.
Ali Zuweid's Political Programme · POL-05 · Version 1.0