Iraqi Parliament Votes on Key Laws: Personal Status, Property Return, and General Amnesty

Shafaq News

Iraqi parliament hall.

The Iraqi parliament voted on Tuesday, 21st January 2025, on the draft laws concerning personal status, the return of real estate to its rightful owners, and general amnesty, all as part of a single package.

The media department of the parliament issued a statement, saying, "The parliament voted on the proposal to amend the Personal Status Law No. (188) of 1959, the draft law for the return of real estate to its rightful owners affected by certain decisions of the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), and the draft law to amend the General Amnesty Law No. (27) of 2016."

In this context, Karwan Yarwais, the rapporteur of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc in the Iraqi parliament, spoke to PUKMEDIA, stating: "The Iraqi parliament voted on the draft law to return real estate to its owners, particularly those impacted by the decisions of the dissolved RCC. This is a project that the Kurdish blocs, especially the PUK bloc, have long advocated for, aiming to rectify the injustices faced by Kurdish and Turkmen farmers in Kirkuk and the disputed areas during the rule of the former dictatorial regime."

Yarwais continued: "With the passing of this law, thousands of acres of agricultural land will be returned to their rightful owners, namely Kurdish and Turkmen farmers in Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Tuz Khurmatu, Mandali, and Nineveh."

Although the draft amendment to the federal budget law was also due for a vote, it was postponed due to objections from certain blocs.

On 7th November 2024, the Presidency of the Iraqi parliament decided to extend its legislative term by 30 days, starting from 9th November.

The extension was aimed at approving outstanding laws, as previous sessions had been delayed multiple times due to quorum issues, especially concerning three key draft laws: the law to return real estate to its owners (based on decisions of the dissolved RCC), the general amnesty law, and the amendment to the Personal Status Law. However, these laws were not passed during the extended period, leading to their postponement until the new legislative term, when they were finally voted on today.



PUKMEDIA