Baghdad: Legal expert and consultant, Salem Hawas stated that the idea of calling applicants to submit r©sum©s for the position of Prime Minister ‘has no constitutional basis’ and does not fall within the mechanisms outlined in Article 76 of the Iraqi Constitution.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Hawas explained in a statement that the premiership is not a position filled through a ‘job posting’ or an open competition among individuals, but rather through an exclusive mandate issued by the President of the Republic to the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc. He emphasized that such proposals contradict the logic of a parliamentary system, which grants legitimacy to the largest bloc, not to individuals seeking the position.

The legal expert added that the constitutional and political responsibility for selecting a prime minister lies solely with the largest bloc in Parliament, not with the public, a ‘selection committee,’ or any actors outside the parliamentary process.

Hawas also described the idea of submitting r©sum©s as an attempt to evade responsibility, noting that the constitution explicitly charges the largest bloc with nominating a candidate based on competence, integrity, and the ability to manage the executive branch.

He further recalled the principle that ‘those who seek leadership should not be entrusted with it,’ stressing that the position of prime minister is not an ordinary job, nor a business partnership, nor a commercial advertisement. Instead, it is a sovereign executive office tied to a clear electoral entitlement, one that must not be subject to manipulation or political maneuvering.