Shafaq News/ On Saturday, two political sources revealed the latest developments regarding the election of a new speaker for the Iraqi Parliament, indicating a parliamentary consensus around Mahmoud al-Mashhadani’s candidacy, with only the announcement of the session date pending.
A source close to candidate Mahmoud al-Mashhadani informed Shafaq News Agency that "leaders of the coordination framework and the Sunni component have united in support of al-Mashhadani for the parliamentary presidency, while those opposing him are merely outliers." The source noted that the number of supporters has exceeded 180 deputies, and members of the Taqaddum party led by Mohammed al-Halbousi will also support al-Mashhadani.
In a related development, a leader within Al-Siyada Alliance informed our agency that "al-Halbousi has proposed a vision to resolve the parliamentary presidency issue, which included relinquishing the Ministry of Culture to Deputy Salem al-Issawi in exchange for al-Iissawi stepping back from the parliamentary leadership candidacy. However, al-Issawi rejected any offer or position and reaffirmed his commitment to running for the parliamentary presidency."
The source also mentioned that "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has communicated to the political blocs his readiness to implement a ministerial reshuffle in his government at any time according to the political blocs' preferences. However, there remains no consensus among the Sunni blocs on a specific candidate, and competition among candidates for the parliamentary presidency is still ongoing. If an agreement is reached, a ministerial change in Al-Sudani's government will follow."
Three days ago, the coordination framework, which brings together Shiite political forces, announced their agreement to support Mahmoud al-Mashhadani for the Iraqi Parliament presidency, scheduling the election session for October 22 or 23. This agreement aims to resolve the parliamentary leadership crisis that has persisted for over 11 months since the Federal Court's decision to terminate Mohammed al-Halbousi's membership in November 2023.
Since the removal of the previous president, Mohammed al-Halbousi, in November 2023, the political forces have struggled to elect a new parliamentary leader due to ongoing disputes.
The Parliament has convened several sessions to elect a new speaker, all of which have failed to resolve the crisis. The Taqaddum parliamentary bloc insists that the position is its rightful claim, while Al-Siyada bloc, led by Khamis al-Khanjar and other Sunni groups, argues that the position should belong to the Sunni component rather than a specific party or bloc.