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Iraqi PM Rejects Resignation of 3 Taqaddum Party Ministers

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani with Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi (file photo: Iraqi Premiership)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani with Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi (file photo: Iraqi Premiership)
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Iraqi PM Rejects Resignation of 3 Taqaddum Party Ministers

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani with Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi (file photo: Iraqi Premiership)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani with Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi (file photo: Iraqi Premiership)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani rejected the resignations of three ministers who took the move in protest of a ruling by Iraq’s court to terminate the tenure of Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi.
The Federal Supreme Court, the highest judicial body in Iraq, ruled to remove Halbousi, the influential Sunni Speaker, from his position after a complaint filed against him by a representative on charges of “forgery.”
In response, the Taqaddum Party, led by Halbousi, announced the resignation of its three ministers in the government.
Government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said in a statement that the Prime Minister rejected the resignations submitted by the Ministers of Planning, Industry, and Culture, and accordingly, they will resume their executive duty.
The statement explained that the rejection comes from the government’s desire to ensure political representation for all components and political forces of the Iraqi people and in harmony with the government’s commitments to support and maintain political stability.
Iraq’s political process is based on power sharing between different sects, and it has become a tradition that the position of President goes to the Kurds, the Prime Minister is Shia, and the Speaker is Sunni.
Appointing officials to positions is an arduous issue in Iraq that lasts for months, often due to endless negotiations and political deals that go through many obstacles.
The parliament, with 329 representatives, is dominated by an alliance that includes Iran-affiliated Shiite parties, which named the current Prime Minister.
Halbousi rejected the ruling on November 14, removing him from his position and dropping his parliamentary membership, pledging to take necessary steps to “preserve constitutional rights.”
The Supreme Court issued its ruling after a complaint submitted by a lawmaker of the Taqaddum party, led by Halbousi. The party leader was accused of “forgery.”
The court confirmed the lawsuit, in which Halbousi was accused of forcing his party’s representatives to submit a signed, undated resignation letter. He later used the paper to terminate the lawmaker’s membership in January.

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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)

Italy plans to send an ambassador back to Syria after a decade-long absence, the country’s foreign minister said, in a diplomatic move that could spark divisions among European Union allies.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in front of relevant parliamentary committees Thursday, announced Rome’s intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria to prevent Russia from monopolizing diplomatic efforts in the Middle Eastern country.

Moscow is considered a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has remained in power despite widespread Western isolation and civilian casualties since the start of Syria’s civil war in March 2011.

Peaceful protests against the Assad government — part of the so-called “Arab Spring” popular uprisings that spread across some of the Middle East — were met by a brutal crackdown, and the uprising quickly spiraled into a full-blown civil war.

The conflict was further complicated by the intervention of foreign forces on all sides and a rising militancy, first by al-Qaida-linked groups and then the ISIS group until its defeat on the battlefield in 2019.

The war, which has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, is now largely frozen, despite ongoing low-level fighting.

The country is effectively carved up into areas controlled by the Damascus-based government of Assad, various opposition groups and Syrian Kurdish forces.

In the early days of the conflict, many Western and Arab countries cut off relations with Syria, including Italy, which has since managed Syria-related diplomacy through its embassy in Beirut.

However, since Assad has regained control over most of the territory, neighboring Arab countries have gradually restored relations, with the most symbolically significant move coming last year when Syria was re-admitted to the Arab League.

Tajani said Thursday the EU’s policy in Syria should be adapted to the “development of the situation,” adding that Italy has received support from Austria, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Slovakia.

However, the US and allied countries in Europe have largely continued to hold firm in their stance against Assad’s government, due to concerns over human rights violations.