The Crisis of the Deputy Prime Minister Position in the Eighth Sa'idi Cabinet (December 25, 1943 - June 3, 1944) and its Repercussions in ParliamentSamir Abbas Rikan

Abstract

(The Crisis of the Deputy Prime Minister Position in the Eighth Sa'idi Cabinet (25 December 1943 - 3 June 1944) and Its Repercussions in the Chamber of Deputies). This study seeks to answer a central research question: was the establishment of the position of Deputy Prime Minister in the Eighth al-Said Cabinet — which lasted from 25 December 1943 to 3 June 1944 — a genuine constitutional violation that warranted such fierce opposition within the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies, or was it a political pretext employed by other parties to achieve objectives that extended beyond the stated constitutional concern?
The research reveals that this cabinet was the first in Iraqi history to introduce the position of Deputy Prime Minister, which was assigned to the veteran politician Tawfiq al-Suwaidi. This move sparked fierce opposition in the Chamber of Deputies, which cited the unconstitutionality of this position.   
The research concludes that this opposition was not a genuine defense of the constitution, but rather a political tool orchestrated by Regent Abd al-Ilah, who mobilized the deputies of a chamber he had personally shaped, in order to weaken Nuri al-Sa'id and remove al-Suwaidi from the cabinet. These pressures continued until al-Suwaidi was forced to resign, followed by two consecutive resignations submitted by Nuri al-Sa'id, the second of which was accepted on the 3rd of June 1944.    
The research further establishes that Britain's deliberate silence gave the Regent room to maneuver, and that the Supreme Court's ruling, which sided with the opposition, came only after the Regent had already achieved his goal. This confirms that the crisis was fundamentally a struggle for power rather than a defense of constitutional principles.