by Omar Habeeb Abdul Razzaq
As an Iraqi politician who has worked in various legislative institutions and a social activist who believes in the importance of legislative democracy, I’ve realized that the Iraqi Parliament isn’t just a building under the green dome in Baghdad, but the beating heart of democracy and the place where laws that serve the people and build the future should be made. But reality shows there’s a large gap between what parliament should be and what it actually is.
My experience as a supporter of Iraqi youth and advocate for political reform taught me that the basic problem in Iraqi legislative work lies in laws often being made based on political agreements and partisan quotas, not based on citizens’ real needs and national development requirements. This reality turns parliament from a legislative institution serving the people into an arena for political conflicts and partisan bargaining.
Iraqi youth, who make up more than 60% of the population and whom I consider myself a voice for in the political field, find themselves absent from legislative work priorities. Laws discussed and passed in parliament rarely reflect youth needs and aspirations. Education, employment, investment, and technology laws need a modern youth perspective that keeps pace with the times’ requirements.
The legislative process in Iraq needs radical reform starting from how legislative priorities are chosen. There must be a clear mechanism to determine the most urgent laws based on scientific studies and real opinion polls, not based on political mood or partisan pressures.
Transparency in legislative work is an urgent necessity. Iraqi citizens have the right to know how their representative votes on different laws and what his justifications for this vote are. Publishing legislative session details and MPs’ opinions should be routine, not exceptional.
Specialization in legislative work is very important. The MP discussing education law must be informed about the latest developments in this field, and the MP discussing investment law must understand modern economy requirements. This requires continuous training for MPs and providing necessary advisory expertise.
Community participation in the legislative process must be more effective. Listening to experts, specialists, and ordinary citizens’ opinions before passing any law ensures the law will be practical, applicable, and beneficial to society.
Parliamentary oversight of government performance is a neglected aspect in Iraqi legislative work. Parliament must monitor implementation of laws it passes, hold government accountable for its performance, and ensure approved policies are implemented correctly.
Technology can revolutionize legislative work. Digital parliament can increase transparency, facilitate citizen participation, and improve legislative work efficiency. Electronic voting, digital document publishing, and live session broadcasting are all tools that can develop parliamentary work.
Cooperation between different political blocs is necessary for successful legislative work. Politics is the art of the possible, and good laws need national consensus, not partisan dominance. As a political activist who believes in democracy, I see dialogue and negotiation as better than confrontation and exclusion.
Continuous evaluation of passed laws is important to ensure their effectiveness. Laws that don’t achieve their goals must be amended or repealed. This requires a mechanism to follow up on law implementation and measure their results on the ground.
Continuous training and development for MPs is necessary to improve their performance. MPs must be informed about the latest developments in their field of specialization, understand modern techniques in lawmaking, and master negotiation and dialogue skills.
Iraqi youth must have greater representation in parliament. Youth have a different vision, knowledge of modern technology, and understanding of future requirements. Increasing youth representation in parliament will make laws more modern and suitable for the times.
As a political activist and supporter of legislative reform in Iraq, I believe parliament can be a positive force for change if it’s reformed and developed. This reform needs political will from MPs themselves, popular support from citizens, and effective participation from civil society.
The Iraqi Parliament must be the people’s real house, the place where citizens’ issues are discussed, their problems solved, and future laws built. This goal isn’t impossible, but it needs serious and continuous work from all parties.