KDP submits list of candidates for Second Deputy Speaker post
Shafaq News – Erbil
A senior source within the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said on Saturday that the party’s political bureau has submitted a list of nominees for the position of second deputy speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives to the party leadership.
The source, in condition of anonymity, told Shafaq News that the KDP leadership is expected to announce its final nominee only hours before the parliamentary session convenes, noting that the list includes Shakhwan Abdullah, Rebar Hadi, Farhad Atrushi, and Ashwaq Jaf.
According to the source, no final decision has yet been made, and the chances of the candidates remain unclear, particularly with the presence of additional names under consideration.
The Iraqi Council of Representatives is scheduled to hold its first session of the sixth parliamentary term on Monday at 12:00 p.m. The agenda includes two items: administering the constitutional oath to newly elected lawmakers and electing the speaker of parliament, along with the first and second deputy speakers.
The speaker’s office consists of the speaker and two deputies, who jointly oversee legislative sessions and organize the parliament’s work.
Political analyst Haider al-Barzanji revealed to Shafaq News that the viability of the upcoming session depends on resolving the parliamentary leadership positions in advance. He noted that one deputy speakership has already been settled in favor of Shakhwan Abdullah of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, while expectations are that the first deputy speaker post will be finalized shortly.
According to Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission, the Kurdistan Democratic Party secured 27 seats in the sixth-term Iraqi parliament out of the Kurdistan Region’s 46 allocated seats.
Read more: Iraq’s Parliament Speakership vote: Stress test ahead of Dec. 29
