According to the constitution adopted in 2005, the Republic of Iraq is defined as a federal democratic parliamentary republic. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister of Iraq who heads the Council of Ministers (i.e. the federal government). The President of Iraq is the head of state with largely ceremonial powers, while legislative and judicial power is vested in the Council of Representatives and Supreme Judicial Council respectively.
The Regimes of the World index rated Iraq 2024 an electoral autocracy.
System of government
Overview
The Republic of Iraq is defined under the current constitution as a democratic, federal parliamentary republic.Constitution of Iraq, Section 1, Article 1 The system of government is composed of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as numerous independent commissions. Islam is the official religion of the state and a foundation source of legislation, and no law may be enacted that contradicts its established provisions; furthermore, no law may be enacted that contradicts the principles of democracy or those basic rights and freedoms stipulated in the constitution.Constitution of Iraq, Section 1, Article 2 The current constitution provides for decentralisation according to which the federal regions have their own branches of government and governorates can exercise a degree of autonomy, but are governed by the provisions of the constitution of Iraq.
Executive branch The executive branch is represented by the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The President of the Republic is not part of the council of ministers and is not the head of any executive organ, but whose constitutional duty is mainly in naming the prime minister immediately after election and thereafter working under the command of the prime minister who is in charge of forming the government, formulating the general policy of the State and acting as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Legislative branch The legislative branch is composed of the Council of Representatives and a Federation Council.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 1, Article 48. As of August 2012, the Federation Council had not yet been convened.
Council of Representatives
The Council of Representatives is the main elected body of Iraq. The Constitution defines the "number of members at a ratio of one representative per 100,000 Iraqi persons representing the entire Iraqi people."Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 1, Article 49 The members are elected for terms of 4 years.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 1, Article 56
The council elects the President of Iraq; approves the appointment of the members of the Federal Court of Cassation, the Chief Public Prosecutor, and the President of Judicial Oversight Commission on proposal by the Higher Juridical Council; and approves the appointment of the Army Chief of Staff, his assistants and those of the rank of division commanders and above, and the director of the intelligence service, on proposal by the Cabinet.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 1, Article 61
Federation Council
The Federation Council will be composed of representatives from the regions and the governorates that are not organized in a region. The council is to be regulated by law by the Council of Representatives.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 1, Article 65 As of February 2026, the Federation Council had not yet been convened.
Judicial branch
The federal judiciary is represented by the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq. The apex courts of Iraq are the Court of Cassation, and the Supreme Court. The judiciary is also composed of the Public Prosecution Department, the Judiciary Oversight Commission, and other federal courts that are regulated by law.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 3, Article 89 One such court is the Central Criminal Court.
Supreme Judicial Council
The Supreme Judicial Council manages and supervises the affairs of the federal judiciary.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 3, Article 91 It oversees the affairs of the various judicial committees,Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 3, Article 90 nominates the Chief Justice and members of the Court of Cassation, the Chief Public Prosecutor, and the Chief Justice of the Judiciary Oversight Commission, and drafts the budget of the judiciary. In 2013, the Council of Representatives passed the Iraqi Federal Court Act, which forbids the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from also being the head of the Judicial Council, and replaced him with the Chief Justice of the Court of Cassation.
Court of Cassation
According to the Judicial Authority Law of 1963, the Court of Cassation is the apex court in ordinary law. The Court of Cassation is the supreme judicial body for all civil courts. It is headquartered in Baghdad and consists of a president, a sufficient number of vice-presidents, permanent judges, not less than fifteen permanent judges, delegated judges or rapporteur judges as needed.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is an independent judicial body that interprets the constitution and determines the constitutionality of laws and regulations. It settles disputes amongst or between the federal government and the regions and governorates, municipalities, and local administrations, and settles accusations directed against the President, the Prime Minister and the Ministers. It also ratifies the final results of the general elections for the Council of Representatives.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 3, Article 93 In November 2022, the president of the Supreme Judicial Council, Chief Justice Dr. Faiq Zaidan described the name “Federal Supreme Court” as a misnomer, and suggested that the name be changed to “Constitutional Court” befitting its authorities.
Central Criminal Court The Central Criminal Court of Iraq is the main criminal court of Iraq. The CCCI is based on an inquisitorial system and consists of two chambers: an investigative court, and a criminal court.
Independent Commissions The Independent High Commission for Human Rights, the Independent High Electoral Commission, and the Commission of Integrity are independent commissions subject to monitoring by the Council of Representatives.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 4, Article 102 The Central Bank of Iraq, the Board of Supreme Audit, the Communications and Media Commission, and the Shiite Endowment Commission as well as the Sunni Endowment Commission are financially and administratively independent institutions attached to the Council of Ministers.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 4, Article 103 The Martyrs Foundation and the Political Prisoners Foundation are attached to the Council of Ministers as well.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 4, Article 104 The Federal Public Service Council regulates the affairs of the federal public service, including appointment and promotion.Constitution of Iraq, Section 3, Chapter 4, Article 107
Federalism in Iraq
Federalism law Article 114 of the Constitution of Iraq provided that no new region may be created before the Iraqi National Assembly has passed a law that provides the procedures for forming the region. A law was passed in October 2006 after an agreement was reached with the Iraqi Accord Front to form the constitutional review committee and to defer implementation of the law for 18 months. Legislators from the Iraqi Accord Front, Sadrist Movement and Islamic Virtue Party all opposed the bill.
Federal regions
The constitution requires that the Council of Representatives enact a law which provides the procedures for forming a new region 6 months from the start of its first session.Constitution of Iraq, Article 114 A law was passed 11 October 2006 by a unanimous vote with only 138 of 275 representatives present, with the remaining representatives boycotting the vote. Legislators from the Iraqi Accord Front, Sadrist Movement and Islamic Virtue Party all opposed the bill.
Under the law, a region can be created out of one or more existing governorates or two or more existing regions, and a governorate can also join an existing region to create a new region. A new region can be proposed by one third or more of the council members in each affected governorate plus 500 voters or by one tenth or more voters in each affected governorate. A referendum must then be held within three months, which requires a simple majority in favour to pass. In the event of competing proposals, the multiple proposals are put to a ballot and the proposal with the most supporters is put to the referendum. In the event of an affirmative referendum a Transitional Legislative Assembly is elected for one year, which has the task of writing a constitution for the Region, which is then put to a referendum requiring a simple majority to pass. The President, Prime Minister and Ministers of the region are elected by simple majority, in contrast to the Iraqi Council of Representatives which requires two thirds support.
The northern Kurdistan Region emerged in 1992 with its own local government and parliament officially recognised in 2005 following the adoption of the new constitution.
Local government The basic subdivisions of the country are the federal regions and governorates. Both regions and governorates are given broad autonomy with regions given additional powers such as control of internal security forces for the region such as police, security forces, and guards.Constitution of Iraq, Article 121
Provinces
Iraq is divided into 19 governorates, which are further divided into districts:
Political parties
Parliamentary alliances and parties National Iraqi Alliance (mainly Shi'a Islamist) Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (al-Majlis al-alalith-thaura l-islamiyya fil-Iraq) – led by Ammar al-Hakim Sadrist Movement – led by Muqtada al-Sadr Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation (Hizb al-Da'wa al-Islami Tendeem al-Iraq) – led by Kasim Muhammad Taqi al-Sahlani Islamic Dawa Party (Hizb al-Da'wa al-Islamiyya) – led by Nouri al-Maliki Tribes of Iraq Coalition – led by Hamid al-Hais Islamic Fayli Grouping in Iraq – led by Muqdad Al-Baghdadi Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan Kurdistan Democratic Party (Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê) – led by Massoud Barzani Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Yaketi Nishtimani Kurdistan) – led by Jalal Talabani Kurdistan Islamic Union (Yekîtiya Islamiya Kurdistan) Movement for Change (Bizutnaway Gorran) – led by Nawshirwan Mustafa Kurdistan Toilers' Party (Parti Zahmatkeshan Kurdistan) Kurdistan Communist Party (Partiya Komunîst Kurdistan) Feyli Kurd Democratic Union (Yeketîa Demokrata Kurden Feylî) Assyrian Patriotic Party Civil Democratic Alliance (secular, nonsectarian) People's Party led by Faiq Al Sheikh Ali. Iraqi Ummah Party led by Mithal Al-Alusi. Iraqi Liberal Party National Democratic Action Party Iraqi List (al-Qayimaal Iraqia) (mainly secular Shia) Iraqi National Accord – led by Iyad Allawi The Iraqis – led by Ghazi al-Yawer (allegedly Sunni) Feyli Kurdish National Movement - led by Munir Haddad Iraqi Turkmen Front (Irak Türkmen Cephesi)) (same as Alliance of the Turkomen Front of Iraq?) (ethnic group of Iraqi Turkmen) National Independent Cadres and Elites (Shia) People's Union (Ittihad Al Shaab) Iraqi Communist Party – led by Hamid Majid Mousa Islamic Kurdish Society – led by Ali Abd-al Aziz Islamic Labour Movement in Iraq National Democratic Party (Hizb al Dimuqratiyah al Wataniyah) – led by Samir al-Sumaidai National Rafidain List Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa Dimuqrataya Aturaya) – led by Yonadam Kanna Reconciliation and Liberation Bloc The Upholders of the Message (Al-Risaliyun) Mithal al-Alusi List Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress
Other parties Communist Party of Iraq Worker-Communist Party of Iraq Leftist Worker-Communist Party of Iraq Alliance of Independent Democrats – led by Adnan Pachachi