🔻 The Iraqi Council of Representatives over the past two decades:

• The first annual budget law was approved on 1/12/2005.

• The Iraqi Council of Representatives has issued 801 laws.

• Held 1,264 regular sessions and 22 extraordinary sessions.

• Questioned ministers and officials 23 times, hosted 227 ministers and prime ministers, withdrew confidence from 2 ministers, and dismissed 5 governors.

• The financial expenditure of the Fifth Parliamentary Term (from January 2022 to mid-2025) amounted to 1 trillion and 91 billion Iraqi dinars. During this period, the council held 134 sessions. By dividing total expenses by the number of sessions, it becomes clear that the cost of a single session exceeded 14 billion dinars.

• During these three years, each MP cost the public budget 5.1 billion dinars (excluding expenses for the second half of 2025).

The Council of Representatives is Iraq’s main legislative authority. The current term consists of 329 members, representing the Iraqi people at a ratio of one seat per 100,000 citizens. Members are elected directly, secretly, and universally, representing the entirety of Iraq’s population.

In the current term, MPs are organized into 27 committees with various responsibilities. The council is tasked with passing federal laws, overseeing the executive authority, electing the president, and ratifying international treaties and agreements according to the Constitution.

This report provides an audit of the activities and financial expenditures of the Iraqi Parliament, linking legislative outcomes with budgetary spending.

First: Legislative and Constitutional Activity of Iraq’s Legislative Authority (2004–2025)

• The National Assembly (100 members) was established through a national conference with more than 1,100 representatives of parties and political groups, presided over by Fuad Masum with four deputies.

• The first budget law was passed on 1/12/2005.

• Since then, the Council of Representatives has passed 801 laws.

• Held 1,264 regular sessions and 22 extraordinary sessions.

• Carried out 23 ministerial questionings, hosted 227 ministers and officials.

• Directed 34 oral questions to the government.

• Gave or withdrew confidence from multiple governments since 2006.

• Withdrew confidence from Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi (2014–2018).

• Dismissed five governors: Atheel al-Nujaifi (Nineveh), Najmaddin Karim (Kirkuk), Nofal al-Akoub (Nineveh), Ammar al-Jubouri (Salah al-Din), and Zuhair al-Ali (Diwaniyah).

• Ratified candidates for ambassadors, judges, heads of commissions, and senior state positions (e.g., Federal Supreme Court, Election Commission, Human Rights Commission).

Second: Financial Costs of the Iraqi Parliament (2006–2025)

1. First Term (2006–2010):

• 275 MPs.

• Budget: 561 billion dinars over 4 years.

• Expenditures per MP: 334 million dinars (2006), 894 million (2007), ~1 trillion dinars total by 2008–2009.

• Employees increased from 315 to 788.

2. Second Term (2010–2014):

• 325 MPs.

• Budget: 1 trillion 308 billion dinars over 4 years.

• Annual allocations peaked in 2011 at 530 billion dinars.

• Staff rose from 788 to 1,807.

3. Third Term (2014–2018):

• 328 MPs.

• Budget: 961 billion dinars over 3 years.

• Annual allocations: 272 billion (2015), 314 billion (2016), 375 billion (2017).

• Staff rose to 1,947.

4. Fourth Term (2018–2021):

• Cut short due to protests (Tishreen Uprising).

• Budget: 1 trillion 786 billion dinars.

• Annual allocations: 372 billion (2018), 470 billion (2019), 448 billion (2020), 496 billion (2021).

• Cost per MP: 5.6 billion dinars.

• Staff rose to 2,223.

5. Fifth Term (2022–present):

• From Jan 2022 to mid-2025: 1 trillion 91 billion dinars spent.

• 134 sessions held.

• Cost per session: over 14 billion dinars.

• Cost per MP: 5.1 billion dinars so far (excluding the second half of 2025).

• Dr. Adel Hassan Dafar, Statistics of Constitutional Activities of Iraq’s Legislative Authorities (2004–2025), Iraqi Parliament Research Dept., July 2025.

• Data Journalism – Al-Saa Network, “Iraqi Parliament: Billion-Dinar Costs, Limited Legislative and Oversight Output,” 20 Aug 2025.