Iraqi parliament to hold first session of second legislative half-year on Monday

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi parliament is scheduled to convene on Monday for the first session of the second half of its current legislative year, with the first reading of a cybercrime bill on the agenda. According to documents obtained by Shafaq News, the session will also include first readings of amendments to child protection and attorneyship laws, as well as a financing bill aimed at strengthening Iraq's air defense systems. First Deputy Speaker Adnan Finjan said the new legislative program would differ markedly from previous ones, with sessions dedicated to reviewing the performance of ministries, oversight bodies and independent commissions. The parliament's leadership has previously announced that several delayed bills will be taken up, including an oil and gas law, a Popular Mobilization Forces law and a federal civil service law. The oil and gas legislation has been pending across multiple legislative terms amid ongoing disputes between the federal government, the Kurdistan Region and oil-producing provinces over the management of natural resources and the distribution of revenue.