Iraq’s presidencies meet about parliament’s failure to elect speaker

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s presidencies met on Saturday to discuss the election of a new speaker for the parliament, which has been without a head for nearly a year, and delays in getting key legislation onto the parliament’s agenda.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with President Abdul Latif Rashid and the head of the Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zidan.

“The meeting discussed the issue of electing the speaker of parliament and the ongoing efforts to expedite the resolution of this constitutional requirement, emphasizing support for these efforts to serve the national interest and strengthen the role of parliament in collaboration with the executive and judicial branches,” read a statement from Sudani’s office.

The Iraqi parliament has been without a speaker since November last year after the Federal Supreme Court revoked Mohammed al-Halbousi’s parliamentary membership and ended his tenure as speaker. The Sunni strongman was accused of forging the resignation of another Sunni lawmaker in 2022.

Since Halbousi’s sacking, First Deputy Speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi has chaired meetings of the legislature.

The parliament currently has no scheduled vote for a new speaker, though it has had several failed votes in the past. The latest attempt came in May when veteran Sunni politician Mahmoud al-Mashhadani failed to gather enough support.

The presidencies’ statement said that they also “addressed the delays in presenting certain important bills prepared by the presidency of the republic and the need to include them on the parliament's agenda in upcoming sessions.”

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.

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