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Iraq's Federal Supreme Court adjourns hearing on constitutionality of Kurdistan Region parliament’s term extension

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BNN Correspondents
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"The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court adjourned a hearing arguing against the constitutionality of the Kurdistan Region parliament’s decision to extend its term by an additional year, according to a legal advisor of the Kurdish legislative body.

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In October, members of the Kurdistan Region’s parliament voted by a majority to extend the current four-year term of the legislature by one year after disagreements between the blocs over the current elections law resulted in preventing the carrying out of new elections.

This is the fourth time the hearing has been adjourned since December.

The case was filed against the Speaker of the Kurdistan Region’s parliament, Rewaz Fayaq, by New Generation Movement (NGM) head Shaswar Abulwahid, NGM MP in the Iraqi parliament Srwa Abdulwahid, NGM MP in the Kurdish parliament Kawa Abdulqadir, and former Speaker of the Kurdish Parliament Yousif Mohammed.

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The plaintiffs call for annulling the extension, saying that the decision contradicts articles 5 and 20 of the Iraqi constitution – which emphasize the right of the Iraqi people to vote and participate in the democratic process- as well as article 51 of the Kurdistan Region parliament’s election law –which stipulates that a parliament term must not exceed for years.

On Sunday, the Kurdistan Region’s Presidency announced that the Region’s parliamentary elections will be held on November 18.

A new parliamentary election was set to be held in October, but disagreements between Kurdish political parties over the current elections law and the electoral commission prevented the process from being conducted at its scheduled time."

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