Oil Law Sparks More Conflicts Among Iraqis

The draft Oil Law is sparking new conflicts among Iraqis, which is of course the last thing they need under the country’s terrible political and security conditions. Three types of objections are at play: legal-constitutional, political, and professional-sectoral.
The opponents emphasize that Parliament should have dealt first with constitutional amendments, which include hydrocarbon-related items, before acting on a draft Oil Law. This is because of the contradiction and vagueness in constitutional articles about the prerogatives of Iraq’s regions and governorates regarding the creation of laws and oil policies that take precedence over state laws regarding the sector.
Meanwhile, the political party groupings that participate in the political process are more divided than ever before about the seriousness of the draft legislation and the extent to which it will benefit Iraq. Many of these groups cite US pressures, both overt and covert, to enact the law as quickly as possible. In fact, according to the announced American agenda, it was supposed to have been passed at the end of May. The current debate in Washington is over whether Parliament’s vote on the draft should take place before or after the legislature’s summer recess, especially since Washington considers the issue one of fundamental importance, one of 18 benchmarks for the Iraqi government.

Dar Al-Hayat