VZCZCXRO1034
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2037 1670449
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160449Z JUN 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5100
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002037 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT PASSES BYLAWS; DEADLOCK OVER SPEAKER'S 
POWERS ON PERSONNEL ISSUES BROKEN 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 1985 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  After reaching agreement on language 
concerning the Speaker's powers on personnel issues (reftel), 
the Council of Representatives (CoR) completed its work on 
the bylaws June 14.  The CoR will now move on to the 
formation of committees.   The agreed upon language says that 
personnel decisions will be made by consensus between the 
Speaker and the two deputies.  The CoR also amended the 
bylaws to add an article mandating that every session start 
with a Quranic reading and to delete the article that would 
have established an Independent Commissions Committee.  END 
SUMMARY 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Personnel Issues to be Decided by Consensus 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The agreed-upon language for Article 9 (Section 12) 
states that the Speaker and his two deputies will take 
decisions related to the hiring, firing, and oversight of CoR 
employees by consensus, with orders coming from the Speaker's 
office.  In case one of the three is absent, decisions will 
be taken with the approval of the remaining two. 
 
¶3. (SBU) After some debate between the Shia Coalition and 
Tawafuq members over the ability of the Speaker to convene 
and adjourn a session (addressed in Article 11), the CoR 
agreed that the Speaker (or in his absence, his two deputies) 
can call a session according to the agreed upon agenda.  The 
session will adjourn by agreement of a majority of the 
Presidency Commission (Speaker and two Deputies), as long as 
the Speaker is part of that majority.  In the Speaker's 
absence, the two Deputies can adjourn a session as long as 
they both are in agreement. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
All CoR Sessions to Open With Quranic Reading 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4. (SBU) Hassan al-Shemmeri (Fadhila) announced that a 
suggestion to start each CoR session with a reading from the 
Quran had been signed by 50 members and presented to the 
Bylaws Drafting Committee.  This amendment was widely 
supported by UIC members, but was opposed by some from the 
Kurdish Alliance, Tawafuq, and Iraqiyya who argued that this 
issue should be discussed after the bylaws were finished due 
to its sensitivity ) one member suggested that the CoR 
should see how other Parliaments in the Middle East open 
their sessions.  The Speaker called for a vote, and the 
amendment passed.  (NOTE: Through his statements after the 
amendment passed, it was clear that the Speaker was in favor 
of the amendment.  END NOTE.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
The Independent Commissions Committee Abolished 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The CoR voted to remove Article 111 -- which created 
the Independent Commissions Committee --  from the bylaws. 
Oversight of the Commissions covered under the article (the 
IECI, the Media and Communications Commission, and the IPCC) 
will be handled by existing relevant committees. 
SPECKHARD