The Constitution of Iraq that was adopted in 2005 defined Iraq for the first time as a federal country. The current constitution of Iraq was approved by a referendum that took place on 15 October 2005. ... The word federal in a general sense refers to the nature of an agreement between or among two or more states, nations, or other groups to merge into a union in which control of common affairs is held by a central authority created by and with the consent of the...

History

After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1919, Iraq became a League of Nations mandate under British control. Shaikh Mahmud Barzanji led a Kurdish revolt against the British and established in 1922 an independent Kingdom of Kurdistan in northern Iraq. In 1924 the British defeated Mahmud and Kurdistan was incorporated into the Kingdom of Iraq. However, Kurdish leaders continued to press for independence or autonomy, including with the Barzani Revolt in 1961. In 1970 the Iraqi government agreed to create the Kurdish Autonomous Region covering three provinces of northern Iraq. Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. ... The British Mandate of Iraq was a League of Nations Class A mandate under Article 22 and entrusted to Britain when the Ottoman Empire was divided in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. This award was completed on April 25, 1920, at the San Remo conference... Sheikh Mahmmud Barzanji (Kurdish: Şêx Mehmûd Berzincî, Arabic:شیخ محمود برزنجي) was the leader of several Kurdish uprisings against the British Mandate of Iraq. ... The Kingdom of Kurdistan can refer to two kingdoms formed in the 1920s in the geo-cultural region of Kurdistan. ... National motto: Allahu Akbar (English: God is Great) Official languages Arabic, Kurdish1 Spoken languages Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian, Turkmen, Armenian Capital Baghdad2 President Jalal Talabani Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari Area - Total - % water Ranked 57th 437,072 km2 1. ... Anthem: Ey Reqîb (English: Hey Guardian) Capital Arbil Largest city Erbil Kurdish, Arabic, (Assyrian (Syriac)) and (Iraqi Turkmen) Government Parliamentary Democracy  - Prime Minister Nechervan Idris Barzani  - President Masoud Barzani Formation of Autonomous Region    - Autonomy Accord Agreement is Signed March 11, 1970   - Autonomy Accord Collapses March 1974   - Gained de facto... See also Southern (or Iraqi) Kurdistan The Kurdish Autonomous Region is a political entity established in 1970 following the agreement of an Autonomy Accord between the government of Iraq and leaders of the Iraqi Kurdish community. ...

After the end of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 the Kurdish region rose up against President Saddam Hussein and gained de facto independence under the protection of a no fly zone. After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) recognised the existing regional government and defined Iraq for the first time as a federal country. The TAL also allowed up to three governorates outside Kurdistan to form a Region, except for Baghdad Governorate and Kirkuk Governorate, subject to aproval by the Iraqi Interim Government and the population of the new region in a referendum. See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majidida al-Tikriti (Arabic: ‎ [1]; born April 28, 1937[2]), was the President of Iraq from July 16, 1979 until April 9, 2003, when he was deposed during the United States-led 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... No-fly zone detail The Iraqi no-fly zones (NFZs) were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. ... For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq without the explicit backing of the United... The Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period is the current Iraqi constitution signed on March 8, 2004 by the Iraq Interim Governing Council. ... Baghdad Governorate (Arabic: ) in the nation of Iraq includes the city of Baghdad and the surrounding metropolitan area, including Al Mahmudiyah and the infamous Abu Ghraib. ... The Iraqi Interim matt chokes on cock Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30th, 2005. ...

Constitution

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 which provides the procedures for forming the region. This law was passed on 11 October 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. ^[1] The Iraqi Accord Front is an Iraqi political coalition created on October 26, 2005 in order to run in the December 15, 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election. ... The Iraqi Accord Front is an Iraqi political coalition created on October 26, 2005 in order to run in the December 15, 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Islamic Virtue Party (Al-Fadhila Party) is an Iraqi political party. ...

Creating a new region

Under the Federalism Law a region can be created out of one or more existing governorates or two or more existing regions. A governorate can also join an existing region to create a new region. There is no limit to the number of governorates that can form a region, unlike the Transitional Administrative Law of the Iraqi Interim Government which limited it to three. Iraq is divided into 18 governorates or provinces (muhafazah): The current set of governorates were established in 1976. ... The Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period is the current Iraqi constitution signed on March 8, 2004 by the Iraq Interim Governing Council. ... The Iraqi Interim matt chokes on cock Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30th, 2005. ...

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 National Assembly which requires two thirds support. The Iraqi National Assembly is the unicameral parliament of Iraq which meets in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. ...

Proposals

SCIRI has proposed the creation of a Shiite Region covering all nine southern governorates. On March 16 Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of SCIRI proposed a compromise whereby two Regions are created - one in the far South near Basra and one for the middle Euphrates region. ^[2] The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) is an Iraqi political party; its support comes from the countrys Shia Muslim community and from their fellow religionists in neighbouring Iran. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in leap years). ... Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim (Arabic: عبدالعزيز الحكيم ) (born 1953) is an Iraqi theologian and politician and the leader of SCIRI, the largest political party in the Iraqi Council of Representatives. ... The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) is an Iraqi political party; its support comes from the countrys Shia Muslim community and from their fellow religionists in neighbouring Iran. ... Location of Basra Basra (Arabic: ‎ ; BGN: Al Başrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of 2,600,000 (2003). ...

The Islamic Virtue Party governor of Basra has expressed support for a Region covering Basrah and its only its two neighbouring governorates of Maysan and Dhiqar. ^[3] Islamic Virtue Party (Al-Fadhila Party) is an Iraqi political party. ... Location of Basra Basra (Arabic: ‎ ; BGN: Al BaÅŸrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of 2,600,000 (2003). ... Location of Basra Basra (also known as Başrah or Basara; historically sometimes called Busra, Busrah, and early on Bassorah; Arabic: البصرة, Al-Basrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of about 1,377,000 in 2003. ... Categories: Stub | Provinces of Iraq ... Categories: Stub | Provinces of Iraq ...

The Sadrist Movement supports a stronger central government, saying that federalism should not be applied to the south "while Iraq is still under occupation". ^[4] This does not cite its references or sources. ...

References