Iraq court blocks term limits for prime minister

The Supreme Federal Court of Iraq has rejected a law that limits the premier, president and the parliament speaker to two terms of office, a brief statement on its website said today.

The law that would have prevented Iraq's embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from seeking a third term in office after 2014 national elections was ruled unconstitutional by the country's top court.

Al-Maliki became the Prime Minister of Iraq for the first time in 2006. He secured second term in office after nearly nine months of political wrangling after the 2010 national elections.

His political rivals accuse him of consolidating power, bringing the security forces and other state institutions under his control, and sidelining rivals.

The leader's supporters however say that he is a unifier who has restored a shattered Iraqi state, and that the Iraqi electorate should decide whether to keep him as Prime Minister or not.

After the law was passed in January by 170 members of the 275-seat legislature, Al-Maliki's allies dubbed it illegal and vowed to appeal it.

'We believe that there were political pressures on the court to overturn the draft law. Rejecting the law is a danger for democracy in Iraq,' said Al-Khalidi, who voted for the law.

He added that parliament is only obliged to send those draft laws to Cabinet that need financial allocations.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Al-Maliki said the bill 'contradicts the constitution and all constitutions in the parliamentary systems which do not limit the term for the Prime Minister.'

The court couldn't be reached for comment.