BAGHDAD — A crisis involving the naming of vice presidents and legislators who don't attend parliament is showing the limits of Iraq's laws. There is no deadline for the president to choose his deputies or a mechanism to dismiss or hold accountable members of parliament who refuse to attend legislative sessions.

Nouri al-Maliki, a former vice president and prime minister who now serves in parliament, said in a radio interview at the end of August that he wanted to be vice president again and that the delay of President Barham Salih in choosing his deputies is “a clear violation of the constitution.” This matter also shed light on the issue of members of parliament who have yet to be sworn in.

Since the legislative elections in May 2018, parliament has replaced several legislators who took up executive positions in the federal government or in local governments.

However, others who were elected to parliament, including Maliki, former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, former Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji, Basra Gov. Basra Assad al-Aydani and acting Kirkuk Gov. Rakan al-Jabouri, continue to refuse to take the oath of office and take up their legislative functions in the legislature. It appears that most if not all of them are seeking through this maneuver to keep their political options open for as long as they can. For example, Aydani and Jabouri could lose their governor's posts once long-delayed provincial elections are held.