Iraq
A committee counting the votes during a special Iraqi parliament session to elect the speaker on May 18, 2024. Photo:
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Veteran Sunni politician Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a candidate for the speakership of the Iraqi parliament, called for a vote recount after the legislature failed to elect a new speaker during a parliamentary vote earlier this month.
The Iraqi parliament convened on May 18, to hold a second round for voting for a new speaker. Mashhadani and Sunni lawmaker Salem al-Issawi, head of the Sunni Sovereignty bloc, were the main candidates vying for the position that has been empty for half a year.
A first vote was held on January 13, but no candidate was able to obtain the required absolute majority. No winner emerged in the second vote either, however the parliamentary session was adjourned, without the third round of voting taking place, after a brawl broke out between members of the legislature.
In a letter dated Sunday and addressed to First Deputy Speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi, and seen by Rudaw, Mashhdani called for the formation of an “impartial investigative committee” to verify the votes of the second round, claiming that some invalid ballots were counted in the vote
“According to information and facts we received … there are invalid ballots that were counted incorrectly, exceeding the announced number,” Mashhadani said in the letter.
“I kindly ask you to agree on the formation of an impartial investigative committee to verify the number of invalid ballots, as well as the ballots that have been scratched or crossed out, and counted as valid, in order to find out the results of the vote,” he added.
Mashhadani was behind Issawi in the second round of the vote, despite being endorsed by largest Sunni bloc, Taqadum, along several other parties.
A date for a third round has not yet been scheduled.
The post of speaker has been empty since November when the Federal Supreme Court 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 lawmaker in 2022 by changing the date on the document.
In January, Taqadum fielded Shaalan al-Karim for the post, but he withdrew from the race three months later due to opposition from Shiite blocs in the parliament.
Under Iraq’s sectarian power-sharing system, the post of parliament speaker is always reserved for the Sunnis, the prime minister position for the Shiites, and the presidency for the Kurds.
The Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament, earlier this month called on the Sunnis to fill the speaker position within a week.
Hemin Baban Rahim contributed to this report
Updated at 10:36 pm
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