raq is a constitutional democracy with a federal system of government. The 2005 Iraqi Constitution guarantees all Iraqis basic rights in many areas. The executive branch consists of the Presidency Council (one president, two deputy presidents) and a Council of Ministers (one prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 34 cabinet ministers). The President is the Head of State, protecting the Constitution and representing the sovereignty and unity of the state, while the Prime Minister is the direct executive authority and commander in chief. Beginning in 2006, the military and police began transitioning from being under the operational control of the Multi-National Forces-Iraq command to Iraqi command and control. The President and Vice Presidents are elected by the Council of Representatives (CoR). The Prime Minister is nominated by the largest bloc in the Council of Representatives. Upon designation, the Prime Minister names the members of his cabinet, the Council of Ministers, which is then approved by the Council of Representatives. The Council of Representatives may withdraw confidence from the Prime Minister, in which case the Prime Minister and Cabinet are considered resigned. Under normal circumstances, the executive branch serves a four-year term concurrent with that of the Council of Representatives.

Iraq's legislative branch consists of an elected Council of Representatives. The Council of Representatives consists of 275 members, each of whom is elected to four-year terms of service. At least one-quarter of the members of the Council of Representatives must be female. The responsibilities of the Council of Representatives include enacting federal laws, monitoring the executive branch, and electing the President of the Republic. The Federal Council will be established, by law, as a representative for governorates and territories that are not organized in a region.

Iraq's judicial branch is independent, and is under no authority but that of the law. The federal judicial authority is comprised of the Higher Judicial Council, Federal Supreme Court, Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary Oversight Commission, and other federal courts. The Higher Judicial Council supervises the affairs of the federal judiciary. The Federal Supreme Court is the highest court in the country, and the final authority on legal decisions. The establishment of the federal courts, their types, and methods for judicial appointments will be set forth by laws enacted by the Council of Representatives.

Principal Officials of the Iraqi National Unity Government
President--Jalal Talabani
Deputy President--'Adil 'Abd al-Mahdi
Deputy President--Tariq al-Hashimi
Prime Minister--Nuri al-Maliki
Deputy Prime Minister--vacant
Deputy Prime Minister--Barham Salih
Minister of Agriculture--Ali al-Bahadelhi
Minister of Communications--vacant
Minister of Culture--vacant
Minister of Defense--Abdel Qader Jassim Obeidi al-Mufraji
Minister of Displacement and Migration--Abd al-Samad Rahman Sultan
Minister of Education--Khudayyir al-Khuza'i
Minister of Electricity--Karim Wahid
Minister of Environment--Narmin 'Uthman
Minister of Finance--Bayan Jabr
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Hoshyar Zebari
Minister of Health--Saleh al-Hasnawi
Minister of Higher Education--vacant
Minister of Human Rights--Wijdan Mikha'il
Minister of Housing and Construction--Bayan Daza'i
Minister of Industry and Minerals--Fawzi al-Hariri
Minister of Interior--Jawad al-Bulani
Minister of Justice--Safa al Safi (acting)
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs--Mahmud Muhammad Jawad al-Radi
Minister of Municipalities and Public Works--Riyad Ghurayyib
Minister of Oil--Husayn al-Shahristani
Minister of Planning--Ali Baban
Minister of Science and Technology--Ra'id Fahmi Jahid
Minister of Trade--Abd al-Falah al-Sudani
Minister of Transportation--vacant
Minister of Water Resources--'Abd al-Latif Rashid
Minister of Youth and Sports--Jasim Muhammad Ja'far
Minister of State for Civil Society--Wijdan Mikha'il (acting)
Minister of State for CoR Affairs--Safa al-Safi
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs--vacant
Minister of State for Governorates Affairs--vacant
Minister of State for National Dialogue Affairs--Akram al-Hakim
Minister of State for National Security Affairs--Shirwan al-Waili
Minister of State for Tourism and Antiquities--vacant
Minister of State for Women's Affairs--vacant

Major Political Parties and Organizations [Leaders]
Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yonadam Kanna]; Da'wa al-Islamiya Party [Ibrahim al-Ja'afari]; Badr Organization [Hadi al-Amiri]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement [Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein]; General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-Dulaymi]; Hewar National Iraqi Front [Saleh al-Mutlaq]; Independent Iraqi Alliance [Falah al-Naqib]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid Majeed Musa]; Iraqi Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-Muhammadawi]; Iraqi Independent Democrats [Adnan Pachachi]; Iraqi Islamic Party [Tariq al-Hashimi]; Iraqi National Accord (INA) [Ayad Allawi]; Iraqi National Congress (INC) [Ahmad Chalabi]; Iraqi National Council for Dialogue [Khalaf Ulayan al-Khalifawi al-Dulaymi]; Iraqi National Unity Movement [Ahmad al-Kubaysi]; Iraqi Turkmen Front ; Islamic Action Organization [Ayatollah Muhammad al-Mudarrisi]; Jama'at al-Fadilah [Ayatollah Muhammad 'Ali al-Yacoubi]; Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) [Massoud Barzani]; Kurdistan Islamic Union [Salaheddine Muhammad Bahaaeddin]; Mithal al-Alusi List [Mithal al-Alusi]; Muslim Ulama Council [Harith Sulayman al-Dari]; National Democratic Movement; National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-Jabburi]; Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) [Jalal Talabani]; Al-Risalyun [Muqtada al-Sadr]; Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada al-Sadr] (not an organized political party, but it fields independent candidates affiliated with Muqtada al-Sadr); Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI, formerly the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, SCIRI) [Abdul Aziz al-Hakim]; Yezidi Movement for Reform and Progress.

Note: The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan, the Iraqi National List, Tawafuq Coalition, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and the United Iraqi Alliance were electoral blocs consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political parties. Alliances and Electoral blocs are subject to change.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Since March 2006, the Government of Iraq has been a broad coalition led by a Shi'ite legislative bloc known as the United Iraqi Coalition (UIC) or the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA). Elections to the Council or Representatives were held on December 15, 2005. The UIC won 128 of 275 seats in the Council of Representatives. The UIC is composed of ISCI, the al-Sadr movement, al-Da'wa al-Islamiyya, Da'wa Tanzim al-Iraq, Jama'at al-Fadilah, and various independents. Politicians with Sunni religious affiliations, including the Tawaffuq and Hewar groups, won 59 seats in the Council of Representatives. The Kurdish bloc known as the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan (which includes the KDP and PUK) won 53 legislative seats. Ayad Allawi's Iraqiyya or Iraqi National List (INL) won 25 seats. The remaining seats are composed of various independents.

The Council of Representatives is currently working toward reviewing certain controversial articles of the Constitution. The process is likely to be a long one, as consideration needs to be given to the interests of each of the major political groups.

Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: October 15, 2005.
Independence: On October 3, 1932, Iraq gained independence from the League of Nations Mandate under British Administration. Several coups after 1958 resulted in dictatorship. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was established in 2003 under Multi-National Force - Iraq protections. On June 28, 2004, the CPA transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government. A new four-year, constitutionally based government took office in March 2006, and a new cabinet was installed in May 2006.
Branches: Executive--Presidency Council (one president and two vice presidents); Council of Ministers (one prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 34 cabinet ministers). Judicial--Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the Council of Representatives. Legislative--Council of Representatives (CoR) consisting of 275 members.
Divisions: 18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah)--Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit. One region--the Kurdistan Regional Government.