Succession showdown: PMF laws delayed over power struggle
The PMF Administrative Structure Law defines the framework governing the duties, responsibilities, and rights of PMF leaders and personnel. Originally passed as Law No. 40 of 2016, the legislation consists of 17 articles regulating administrative and structural matters, including the establishment of new directorates and their legal affiliations. Parliament previously conducted a first reading of the bill, with a second reading and possible approval expected after the Eid holiday.
Lawmaker Alaa Al-Bandawi told Shafaq News Agency that the law equates the position of PMF chief to a ministerial role but does not grant full ministerial benefits, particularly regarding retirement.
Separately, the PMF Service and Retirement Law, which aims to formalize the force's organizational structure, remains a subject of heated debate. The draft includes more than 86 provisions addressing the rights of PMF personnel, martyrs, wounded, missing individuals, and brigade commanders. The most contentious issue is the retirement age for commanders, a provision opposed by several political blocs. Its implementation would affect over 4,000 PMF members, including senior brigade leaders and the head of the authority, raising concerns over leadership succession.
According to Al-Bandawi, the delay in passing the PMF Service and Retirement Law is primarily due to the lack of a clear successor for the current PMF chief, Faleh Al-Fayyad. He noted that in its last session, the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee hosted key PMF figures, including Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri and the PMF secretary-general, to address disputed clauses, particularly retirement age regulations.
'While the law grants the PMF chief ministerial-level duties, it does not extend ministerial retirement privileges. The bill remains under review, pending amendments before it can be reintroduced for parliamentary approval,' he added.
Al-Bandawi revealed that the Parliament is scheduled to reconvene after Eid al-Fitr holiday to discuss and vote on several key bills, including the PMF Laws. However, parliamentary sources told Shafaq News that no official directive has been issued regarding a legislative session next week, and no agenda has been circulated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Trump optimistic on Gaza truce after "good" Hamas response
Shafaq News – Washington/Gaza On Saturday, US President Donald Trump welcomed Hamas's response to a proposed ceasefire in Gaza, calling it 'good', expressing his optimism that an agreement could be finalized within days. 'We need to do something about Gaza. We're sending a lot of money and aid,' Trump noted during a press briefing, expressing hope for a deal this week despite not being fully updated on the status of the negotiations. Earlier this week, Trump indicated that Israel had accepted 'the necessary conditions to finalize' a proposed 60-day truce. Hamas, in turn, confirmed it had reviewed the plan submitted by mediators and later delivered what it described as a 'positive' response. The group also conveyed its readiness to begin immediate talks on implementation mechanisms. While the Israeli government has not issued an official position, local media reported that Tel Aviv had received Hamas's reply and was reviewing the contents, with the possibility of sending a delegation to the mediators. As diplomatic efforts continue, conditions on the ground in Gaza have sharply worsened. The United Nations reported that at least 613 Palestinians have been killed since late May while attempting to access humanitarian aid. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, briefed reporters in Geneva that most fatalities occurred near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) food distribution sites or aid convoys, warning that the actual death toll could be higher, with verification still underway. She also accused Israel of blocking UN investigators from entering Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced it had carried out approximately 100 airstrikes in the past hours, targeting what it described as ''rocket launch sites, weapons storage facilities, tunnels, and other militant infrastructure.'' Ground operations are still ongoing in Gaza City, Khan Younis, Rafah, and northern areas, with forces reporting the discovery of additional tunnels and explosive devices.
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Israel targets Quds Force liaison in Beirut drone strike
Shafaq News – Beirut The Israeli military announced on Friday that it had killed Qassem Salah al-Husseini, a Lebanese operative linked to Iran's Quds Force, in a drone strike in Lebanon the previous day. Israel's army spokesperson stated that al-Husseini had been planning attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel along the northern front. The army described him as a 'key figure' involved in smuggling weapons from Iran through Syria to various locations along the northern border and into the occupied West Bank. He was reportedly connected to arms dealers in both Syria and Lebanon. #عاجل 🔸جيش الدفاع وجهاز الأمن العام (الشاباك) قضيا على مخرب لبناني كان يروّج لتنفيذ مخططات إرهابية على الجبهة الشمالية بتوجيه من "فيلق القدس" الإيراني🔻هاجم جيش الدفاع أمس في لبنان بتوجيه استخباراتي دقيق وقضى على المدعو قاسم صلاح الحسيني، وهو مخرب لبناني الجنسية كان يعمل على… — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 4, 2025 Earlier this week, an Israeli drone struck a civilian vehicle on the Khaldeh highway, south of Beirut. The agency did not provide details on the target's identity or the extent of the damage. The strike comes despite a ceasefire in place since November that ended a bloody round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. From November 27, 2024, to June 30, 2025, Israel committed 3,799 violations of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon. These included 1,771 ground breaches, over 1,916 airspace violations, and 112 maritime infractions. As a result of these violations, 195 people were killed and 433 others were injured.
Shafaq News
7 hours ago
- Shafaq News
KRG denies drone strike on Israeli-linked site in Erbil
Shafaq News – Erbil On Saturday, the Ministry of Interior in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) denied reports claiming a drone strike targeted an Israeli-linked site in Erbil. In a statement, the ministry emphasized that no Israeli bases or facilities exist in the Kurdistan Region, adding that the incident involved the crash of an explosives-laden drone in a desert area near Erbil, causing no casualties or material damage. The statement suggested the attack was likely carried out by a group linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), with the aim of stirring instability and confusion. Since the end of the Iran–Israel war in late June 2025, drone activity has increased across Iraq. No group has claimed responsibility for the latest incidents.
