Iraq
A session of the Iraqi parliament chaired First Deputy Speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi on November 18, 2023. Photo: Mandalawi's office/Facebook
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s largest Sunni bloc in the parliament, Taqadum Alliance, on Monday, announced its support for veteran politician Mahmoud al-Mashhadani to take up the parliamentary speaker position that has been vacant since November.
“We announce our endorsement of the nomination of Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani for the position of speaker of parliament,” read a statement from Taqadum.
In March, several lawmakers from the Sunni Azm alliance, headed by Mashhadani, announced their withdrawal from the bloc to form the Sadara bloc. On Sunday, Sadara announced joining the Taqadum alliance.
Taqadum said in the statement that the decision to support Mashhadani came following “a series of discussions and an agreement with the Sadara bloc.”
“We call upon the honorable political blocs to support this nomination to finalize this entitlement, to end the obstruction and activate the role of parliament,” read the statement from Taqadum.
Under Iraq’s sectarian power-sharing system, the post of the parliament speaker is always reserved for the Sunnis, the prime minister position for the Shiites, and the presidency for the Kurds.
The parliament currently has no leader. The Federal Supreme Court on November 14 ruled to revoke Mohammed al-Halbousi’s parliamentary membership and end his tenure as speaker. The Sunni strongman was accused of forging the resignation of another Sunni lawmaker in 2022 by changing the date on the document.
The legislature previously attempted to vote on the new speaker on January 13, but after repeated delays no candidate was able to obtain an absolute majority, pushing the vote into a second round which was never held. Taqadum’s Shaalan al-Karim and Sunni Sovereignty bloc’s Salem al-Issawi received the highest number of votes in the first round.
Mashhadani, who was the parliamentary speaker from 2006 to 2008, was also a candidate for the vacant position in January.
In April, Karim withdrew from the race for the position due to opposition from Shiite blocs in parliament.
The Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament, last week, called on the Sunni blocs in the parliament to fill the speaker position within a week.
"The Coordination Framework called on the esteemed Sunni blocs to take responsibility regarding the vacancy of this key position in the political system within a week," read a statement from the pro-Iran Coordination Framework.
The Iraqi parliament’s media directorate announced on Monday that the legislature will convene on May 18 to elect a new speaker.
“We announce our endorsement of the nomination of Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani for the position of speaker of parliament,” read a statement from Taqadum.
In March, several lawmakers from the Sunni Azm alliance, headed by Mashhadani, announced their withdrawal from the bloc to form the Sadara bloc. On Sunday, Sadara announced joining the Taqadum alliance.
Taqadum said in the statement that the decision to support Mashhadani came following “a series of discussions and an agreement with the Sadara bloc.”
“We call upon the honorable political blocs to support this nomination to finalize this entitlement, to end the obstruction and activate the role of parliament,” read the statement from Taqadum.
Under Iraq’s sectarian power-sharing system, the post of the parliament speaker is always reserved for the Sunnis, the prime minister position for the Shiites, and the presidency for the Kurds.
The parliament currently has no leader. The Federal Supreme Court on November 14 ruled to revoke Mohammed al-Halbousi’s parliamentary membership and end his tenure as speaker. The Sunni strongman was accused of forging the resignation of another Sunni lawmaker in 2022 by changing the date on the document.
The legislature previously attempted to vote on the new speaker on January 13, but after repeated delays no candidate was able to obtain an absolute majority, pushing the vote into a second round which was never held. Taqadum’s Shaalan al-Karim and Sunni Sovereignty bloc’s Salem al-Issawi received the highest number of votes in the first round.
Mashhadani, who was the parliamentary speaker from 2006 to 2008, was also a candidate for the vacant position in January.
In April, Karim withdrew from the race for the position due to opposition from Shiite blocs in parliament.
The Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament, last week, called on the Sunni blocs in the parliament to fill the speaker position within a week.
"The Coordination Framework called on the esteemed Sunni blocs to take responsibility regarding the vacancy of this key position in the political system within a week," read a statement from the pro-Iran Coordination Framework.
The Iraqi parliament’s media directorate announced on Monday that the legislature will convene on May 18 to elect a new speaker.
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