Prime Minister of Iraq

For a list of office-holders, see List of prime ministers of Iraq.

Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq
رئيس وزراء جمهورية العراق (Arabic)
Coat of arms of Iraq
Incumbent Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani since 27 October 2022
Council of Ministers Executive branch of the Federal Government of the Republic of Iraq
Style	His Excellency
Type	Head of government
Residence	Republican Palace, Baghdad
Seat	Al Zaqura Building
Appointer	President
Term length	Four-year term, renewable [1]
Formation	11 November 1920
First holder	Abd Al-Rahman Al-Gillani
Salary	140,000,000 Iraqi dinars/96,552 USD annually [2]
Website	Official website

The prime minister of the Republic of Iraq is the head of government of Iraq and the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces. ^[3] On 27 October 2022, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani became the incumbent prime minister.

History

The prime minister was originally^{[ when? ]} an appointed office, subsidiary to the head of state, and the nominal leader of the Iraqi parliament. Under the 2005 constitution the prime minister is the country's active executive authority. Nouri al-Maliki (formerly Jawad al-Maliki) was selected to be prime minister on 21 April 2006. ^{[4] [5]} On 14 August 2014, al-Maliki agreed to step down as prime minister of Iraq to allow Haider al-Abadi to take his place. ^[6] On 25 October 2018, Adil Abdul-Mahdi was sworn into office five months after the 2018 elections until his resignation in 2019. ^[7] He was once again appointed, this time as a caretaker prime minister due to political dispute.^{[ citation needed ]} Abdul-Mahdi was replaced by Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, who was approved by the parliament on 7 May 2020. ^[8] Al-Kadhimi was replaced by Al-Sudani after the 2021 Iraqi parliamentary election.

Appointment

After an election,^{[ citation needed ]} the Council of Representatives elects the president of the Republic and his deputies, including the president of the Council of Ministers. The Presidency Council must then name a prime minister unanimously within two weeks. If it fails to do so, then the responsibility of naming the prime minister reverts to the National Assembly. In that event, the Council of Representatives must confirm the nomination by an absolute majority. If the prime minister is unable to nominate his Council of Ministers within one month, the Presidency Council must name another prime minister.

Though not official, the appointment to the post has needed at least tacit approval from both the United States and Iran in recent times due to the influence of those countries on Iraqi politics. ^[9]

Agencies directly subordinate

The Counter Terrorism Bureau, National Intelligence Service, National Security Service, Falcons Intelligence Cell, and Popular Mobilization Commission report to the prime minister directly. The Iraqi CTB oversees the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Command, a formation that includes all Iraqi Special Operations Forces. As of 30 June 2009, there had been legislation in progress for a year to make the Iraqi CTB a separate ministry. ^[10]

Seat

The prime minister's office is located in the Al Zaqura Building in the Green Zone, Baghdad.

See also

• List of kings of Iraq
• List of presidents of Iraq

References

1. "Iraqi lawmakers pass law to block Maliki from third term". Reuters. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
2. "Names and figures .. salaries of the heads of the world".
3. "Constitution of Iraq". ConstituteProject. Article 78: “The Prime Minister is the direct executive authority responsible for the general policy of the State and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He directs the Council of Ministers, presides over its meetings, and has the right to dismiss the Ministers, with the consent of the Council of Representatives.”
4. Iraq parliament elects new leaders CNN, 22 April 2006
5. Maliki endorsed as new Iraqi PM BBC News, 22 April 2006
6. "Maliki gives up Iraq PM job to rival". www.aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera and agencies.
7. "Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi sworn in with 14 ministers, so far". Rudaw.net. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
8. "Mustafa al-Kadhimi sworn in as prime minister of Iraq". Rudaw. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
9. Yee, Vivian; Rubin, Alissa J. (19 March 2023). "In U.S.-Led Iraq War, Iran Was the Big Winner". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 8 June 2023.
10. Montrose Toast, Iraqi Counter Terrorism Bureau, 30 June 2009