Iraq: Leadership
Chapter 3: Persian Gulf, Arabian Peninsula
Iraq: Leadership
Government Structure
/ Legal System / Political Parties
Overview
/ System Essentials / Infrastructure
/ Population / Fielded Forces
/ Table of Contents
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
Political system is under firm control of Baath (Arab Socialist Resurrection) Party. Party's high command, called Regional Command, is headed by President Saddam Hussein, who holds title of Secretary General of the Regional Command and is also chairman of the RCC. Other notables in the Iraqi government are Prime Minister Ahmad Husayn Khudayir al-Samarrai (since 5 Sep1993) and Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mikhail Aziz (since 1979).
The judicial system is administratively under jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice but theoretically independent under the Constitution. All judges are appointed by the president. The Court of Cassation is the highest court of the land. Personal status disputes are handled by religious community courts (Islamic law-or sharia-or other).
Political parties and activity are severely restricted. Opposition to the regime originates from disaffected members of the Baath Party, Army officers, and Shiite religious and ethnic Kurdish dissidents. In northern Iraq, a "Kurdish Assembly" was elected in May 1992 and has called for Kurdish self-determination within a federated Iraq; however, the assembly is not recognized by the Baghdad government.
