More than 80 Iraqi lawmakers leave Iraq for Hajj, stalling speaker election: source

Shafaq News/ More than 80 Iraqi lawmakers have left the country for Hajk, stalling key parliamentary proceedings, including the selection of a new speaker and the passing of the 2024 budget, a parliamentary source revealed on Tuesday.

This mass exodus for Hajj is not unprecedented. In 2023, roughly 70 legislators participated with special permits, bypassing the quotas allocated to citizens by the Hajj and Umrah Commission.

"The parliamentary finance committee's meetings with ministers and relevant bodies remain incomplete," a parliamentary source informed Shafaq News Agency. "Consequently, there's no confirmed date for a session devoted to debating and approving the budget law tables."

 "Another factor hindering any parliamentary sessions is the recent travel of nearly 80 MPs to Saudi Arabia for Hajj," the source said, noting "those Lawmakers belong to different political blocs."

 Mohammed al-Zaidi, a legislator from the State of Law bloc, spoke to Shafaq News Agency. "Electing a new speaker and finalizing the third round of voting currently faces significant hurdles due to the Sunni blocs' disagreement with other political entities on a specific candidate."

Al-Zaidi anticipates delays extending beyond Eid al-Adha. "Holding a session to elect the speaker before the holiday appears unlikely due to MPs leaving for pilgrimage and potential boycotts by some lawmakers."

"The parliament's priority is finalizing the budget law tables before the conclusion of the current legislative session on June 9th," he said.