The Associations Law was a law in
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, which legally regulated
political parties
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
. The law was promulgated on 1 January 1960. Prior to the adoption of this law, political parties had been banned since 1954. The law came into force on 6 January 1960 (Army Day).
Middle East Record 1960
'. London: published for the Israel Oriental Society, the Reuven Shiloah Research Center. p. 237
[
Ismael, Tareq Y. ]
The Rise and Fall of the Communist Party of Iraq
'. Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
/ New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. p. 101
Under this law, a party applying for legal status at the Ministry of Interior should have at least ten members (all Iraqi citizens) and at least 50 supporters. Article 4 of the law stated that an association registered under the law could not have goals that were incompatible with the independence and national unity of Iraq or the republican and democratic character of the state.
On 9 January 1960, four political parties applied for registration under the new law; the
National Democratic Party, the
Democratic Party of Iraqi Kurdistan, main
Iraqi Communist Party (i.e. the ''Itihad ash-Sha'ab'' group) and
Daud as-Sayegh's splinter
Iraqi Communist Party. On 2 February 1960 two more parties applied for recognition, the
Islamic Party and the
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT; ) is an international pan-Islamist and Islamic fundamentalist political organization whose stated aim is the re-establishment of the Islamic caliphate to unite the Muslim community (called ''ummah'') and implement sharia glo ...
. On 11 February 1960 the
Republican Party applied for recognition and on 29 June 1960 the
National Progressive Party submitted its application. The parties awarded recognition were as-Sayegh's Communist Party, the National Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Iraqi Kurdistan (all on 10 February 1960), the Islamic Party (26 April 1960) and the National Progressive Party (29 July 1960). The mainstream communists, Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Republican Party remained illegal entities. The mainstream Communist Party tried to register itself a second time on 15 February 1960, under the name 'People's Unity Party', but were again turned down on 22 February 1960.
Middle East Record 1960
'. London: published for the Israel Oriental Society, the Reuven Shiloah Research Center. p. 239
References
{{reflist
Legal history of Iraq
1960 in law
1960 in Iraq