Iraq · Government
Government and administration in Iraq
How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.
The three branches
- Head of state — President of the Republic
- Elected by the Council of Representatives; largely ceremonial.
- Executive — Council of Ministers led by the Prime Minister
- Formed by the largest bloc and confirmed by Parliament.
- Legislative — Council of Representatives
- 329 members; a Federation Council for the regions is provided but never constituted.
- Judicial governance — Higher Judicial Council
- Administers the federal judiciary and nominates senior judges.
- Oversight — Board of Supreme Audit and Commission of Integrity
- Audit and anti-corruption investigation.
How legislation is made
Bills are proposed by the President with the Council of Ministers, or by ten members or a committee of the Council of Representatives. They pass two readings and a vote, and the President ratifies within fifteen days, after which they are published and take effect. The Federation Council envisaged by the Constitution has never been created, so there is no second chamber in practice.
Enforcement institutions
- Iraqi Police Service
- Under the Ministry of Interior; includes the Federal Police.
- Public Prosecution
- Attached to the courts under the Higher Judicial Council.
- Commission of Integrity
- Investigates corruption and administers asset declarations.
- Real Estate Registration Directorate
- Land registration; distinct registries operate in the Kurdistan Region.
- Companies Registrar
- Under the Ministry of Trade; separate registration in Kurdistan.
Government bodies and regulators
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