State of Law in Basra may boycott first council session

BASRA, January 28 – The Coordination Framework, including the State of Law Coalition, threatens to boycott the upcoming Provincial Council session in Basra if current Governor Asaad Al-Eidani remains the nominee for governor.

Yasser Al-Abadi, a spokesperson for the State of Law Coalition, voiced the coalition’s stance, saying to 964media, “The Coordination Framework will boycott the session of the Provincial Council, scheduled in the coming days, if no agreement is reached between the Tasmim bloc and the Coordination Framework, as the current governor has not been agreed upon by the Coordination Framework.”

Al-Abadi called on Amer Al-Fayez to nominate a new governor candidate, stating, “We call on Mr. Amer Al-Fayez, to nominate a figure who possesses integrity and competence to manage the province from the other political blocs for the sake of Basra. If insistence continues on the figure of Asaad Al-Eidani, we will be the boycotting bloc for the formation of the Provincial Council.”

Governor Al-Eidani, after his swearing-in at the Basra Court of Appeal, announced the scheduling of the Provincial Council’s first session for next Tuesday. He clarified the process of his oath-taking, saying, “The Supreme Judicial Council directed that the oath be taken in front of the heads of appellate courts throughout Iraq. Whether individuals take the oath individually or in groups is not significant, as the oath is taken individually.”

Addressing his administrative role, Al-Eidani said, “As per the powers granted to the governor, we directed a letter to the administration of the Provincial Council to hold the first session within 15 days of ratifying the names. Since the letter has been received by the governorate, we have decided to convene the first session next Tuesday at 3:00 PM.”

Al-Eidani sought to reassure the people of Basra amid the political uncertainty. “I don’t want the people of Basra to be anxious. This is a message of reassurance to everyone. Basra is safe and stable, and the first session will proceed smoothly and peacefully,” he stated.

He also mentioned his brief tenure in the council, saying, “I hope the upcoming council will work for the benefit of Basra. I am one of the members of this council, even though I will only remain with them for a few hours.”

He is alluding to the fact he will stop being a council member once his return as governor is finalized.

The political scene in Basra is marked by a division between the Coordination Framework, holding 11 seats, and the Tasmim bloc supporting Al-Eidani, which has 12 seats. This delicate balance was rumoured to be in jeopardy earlier this month after rumours spread that two Tasmim members would be defecting to the rival camp.