At a Glance

• The Coordination Framework has prioritized passing a comprehensive package of contentious institutional laws during the current legislative term.
• Both the unresolved Oil and Gas Law and the unestablished Federal Council remain stalled under a two-decade-long constitutional vacuum.
• The ruling coalition is also considering controversial amendments to the Federal Supreme Court following a series of influential judicial rulings impacting the Kurdistan Region.

The Coordination Framework is reviving long-standing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, ramping up pressure to pass controversial draft bills during the current parliamentary term. This legislative push centers on high-stakes files which observers warn could trigger a severe political crisis if executed without a broad national consensus. 

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Key Statements and Focus Area

• The Coordination Framework is re-opening a series of stalled disputes between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi federal government that have remained unresolved since 2005.
• The bloc's consideration of stalled legislation on hydrocarbons, the Federal Council, and Supreme Court amendments has drawn warnings from political observers who note that acting without broad consensus could alter Iraq's balance of power.

Shia leaders of the Coordination Framework convened at the office of Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad, in the presence of Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi and other political figures.

The meeting concluded that it is necessary to jumpstart the legislative process in parliament for laws that have been locked for nearly 20 years due to ethno-sectarian disputes. 

The bloc emphasized that these laws form the foundation for completing the state's constitutional and institutional frameworks.

Baghdad Moves to Finalize PMF Status 

A major focus of the meeting was dedicated to the Popular Mobilization Forces authority draft bill, aiming to finalize legal clauses that fully regulate the body's operations and solidify its status within official state institutions. 

This effort comes at a time when divergent views exist regarding the role and future of this force—particularly within the Shia house itself—while Kurdish and Sunni factions view the move with deep suspicion and strict caution.

Oil and Gas Law Deadlock Persists Over Resource Governance 

The most prominent point of contention and conflict between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad remains the oil and gas draft bill. To date, the draft law has been prepared four separate times; however, due to intense disputes over production authority, the management of shared fields, and revenue distribution, it has never been placed on the Council of Representatives' agenda. 

Approving this law would definitively resolve the legal authorities governing natural resource management in Iraq.

Stalled Federal Council: A 19-Year Constitutional Vacuum 

Despite Article 65 of the Iraqi Constitution stipulating the creation of a legislative chamber named the "Federal Council" to represent regions and provinces, this institution has remained strictly on paper and has failed to materialize since 2005. 

Amending the Federal Court Law

Another piece of legislation on the table is the amendment to the Federal Supreme Court law, which was originally established by an executive decree. Over the past few years, this court has issued its most influential rulings against the Kurdistan Region:

• 2017: Annulment of the independence referendum results.
• February 2022: Declaring the Kurdistan Region’s Oil and Gas Law No. 22 of 2007 unconstitutional.
• 2022–2023: Annulment of the self-extended term of the Kurdistan Parliament.
• February 2024: Reducing the Kurdistan Parliament seats from 111 to 100 (eliminating minority quota seats).
• February 21, 2024: Dissolving the Independent High Electoral and Referendum Commission in the Kurdistan Region.

Unilateral Bills Risk Upending Iraq's Balance of Power 

Observers and experts on Iraqi affairs warn that this move by the Coordination Framework, if executed without prior political consensus with Kurdish and Sunni factions, will open a new front of confrontation and tension within parliament, as these laws directly alter the balance of power in Iraq.

FYI

The Coordination Framework's broad legislative drive coincides with ongoing negotiations by the Prime Minister to finalize his government lineup, as nine ministerial portfolios have remained vacant since the initial approval of his partial cabinet.

Concurrently, the effort to enact these high-stakes bills aligns with a period of active, high-level dialogue between the Kurdistan Region and federal authorities. 

However, Kurdish political factions maintain strict caution regarding potential unilateral changes to judicial structure and natural resource management.

This legislative momentum further intersects with the Ministry of Finance's active drafting of the 2027 federal budget—following a year without a comprehensive fiscal framework. In these ongoing fiscal talks, the KRG Finance Ministry is negotiating to secure a 14% allocation alongside guarantees for regional public sector salaries within the upcoming budgetary structure.

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