Iraq's religious authorities will grow in influence

Significance

The bill seeks to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law (PSL). It has triggered significant objections from civic society and women's rights organisations but the governing Shia political alliance, the Shia Coordination Framework (SCF), is undeterred.

Impacts

• Shia political parties will exploit the still vacant Iraqi parliament speaker seat to reinforce Sunni marginalisation.
• Intra-Shia tensions could rise ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections.
• The prime minister will remain under pressure to expedite the withdrawal of US forces, but his efforts to that end will fall short.