Iraq is a sovereign country, with a democratically elected Government.  The UK, through its missions in Iraq continues to work closely with national and local government to provide, at the request of the Iraqi Government, support and advice that Iraq needs to ensure that it continues to develop as a democratic, secure and prosperous country, providing a stable presence in the region.

Political Developments Post-2003

In early April 2003, following military action, the US-led coalition established an interim authority, the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, to help administer Iraq. This was superseded by the creation of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) headed by US Special Representative in Iraq Ambassador Paul Bremer.

Transfer of power from the Coalition Provisional Authority to Iraqi Interim Government

On 28 June 2004 the CPA was replaced by the Iraqi Interim Government, anon-elected body, headed by Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. The Interim Government comprised a President, two Vice Presidents, a Prime Minister, a Deputy Prime Minister, and 31Ministers. The cabinet included six female Ministers. The Interim Government focussed on day-to-day administration including providing security, promoting economic development and preparing for national elections.

January 2005 Election

On 30 January 2005 historic national elections took place to elect Iraq's 275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) and a transitional government. Over 8.45 million people voted (58% of the electorate).
The TNA met for the first time on 16 March 2005. Its first act was to elect Jalal Talabani as President of Iraq, and Adel Abdul Medhi and Ghazi Al-Yawer as Vice Presidents. The new Prime Minister, Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, and most of his Cabinet were officially sworn in on 3 May 2005.

Constitutionand Referendum

One of the key tasks of the TNA was to draft a new Constitution. After months of deliberation on the text, on15 October 2005 a national referendum approved the constitution, with over 10million Iraqis taking part in the referendum.
Article 142 of the Constitution provides the opportunity for its amendment. The Constitutional Review Committee was formed on 15 November 2006. The Committee submitted a report, presenting its recommended amendments to the Constitution, to the Presidency of the Council of Representatives on 21 May 2007. The Committee was not able to reach agreement on all the outstanding issues in that timeframe and its mandate was accordingly extended by the Council of Representatives.

15 December 2005 Election

The approval of the constitution paved the way for national elections in December 2005. Participation was high across all communities with just over 12million people, or 76% of the electorate, voting. The new 275 seat Council of Representatives with a four-year term met for the first time on 16 March 2006.
On 22 April 2006 Nouri al-Maliki was named Prime Minister designate and he announced his cabinet on 20 May 2006.

Forthcoming Elections

According to the Iraqi Constitution, the next round of national elections need to take place forty five days before the end of the current four year term of the Council of Representatives.
Although not mandated by the Constitution, Iraq’s political leaders are currently in negotiations on an electoral law to allow the next round of provincial elections to take place.

Current issues

The main political issues currently faced by Iraq are the provincial Elections Law, the constitutional review, a law governing Iraq’s hydrocarbon-based resources, and resolving Iraq’s disputed internal boundaries.