Intense political maneuvering precedes Iraqi Parliament Speaker election

Shafaq News/ Ahead of Saturday's Iraqi Parliament Speaker election session, political forces are engaged in intensive meetings and communications, revealed the Al-Azm alliance.

Azam Al-Hamdani, spokesperson for the alliance, told Shafaq News Agency that this "flurry of activity is normal as parties vie to secure votes for their candidates, notably in light of reduced competition between Salem Al-Issawi and Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani."

"All indicators suggest that the parliamentary majority will favor Salem Al-Issawi," Al-Hamdani remarked, expressing concerns over potential disruptions by some MPs to thwart Al-Issawi's bid for the Parliament's presidency.

"There is a parliamentary insistence on resolving the Speaker's election during today's session," Al-Hamdani emphasized, calling for decisive measures against any attempts to disrupt the process.

Anticipation is mounting for the Saturday session, which followed four unsuccessful attempts to resolve the Speaker's selection, with consensus elusive due to Sunni factionalism and the Coordination Framework's insistence on new nominations or retaining Mohsen al-Mandalawi as the acting Speaker.

Sources revealed to Shafaq News that Al-Issawi seems to have the upper hand, backed by the Shiite Coordination Framework and supported as a candidate by the Sovereignty Alliance (Al-Siyada) led by Khamis al-Khanjar. However, other political sources confirmed that Al-Mashhadani would win since he gathered support from the Progress Party (Taqadum), led by Al-Halbousi, and the CF party, State of Law, led by Nouri Al-Maliki.

According to sources, al-Halbousi's endorsement of al-Mashhadani's candidacy prompted Talal al-Zobaie to step back, leaving al-Mashhadani as the primary contender against Salem al-Issawi.

Now, the race is narrowing, with Al-Issawi and Al-Mashhadani emerging as the top contenders.

Al-Issawi, an Iraqi politician born in 1972, served as a member of Al-Anbar Governorate Council from 2010 to 2014 and has been a deputy in the Iraqi Parliament since 2014.

Al-Issawi is a member of the Sovereignty (Al-Siyada) Party under the leadership of Khamees al-Khanjar.

On the other hand, Al-Mashhadani, born in 1948, is an Iraqi politician and parliamentarian. He was the first Speaker of the Council of Representatives following Saddam Hussein's regime's downfall.

He has held various political positions, including heading the political bureau of the Islamic Dawa Party and serving as a founding member of the National Dialogue Council. He served as the Speaker from March 16, 2006, to December 23, 2008, and was also the President of the Arab Parliamentary Union in 2008.