Pressure mounts on Sunnis as Iraq Parliament Speaker election delayed
Shafaq News/ Shiite Coordination Framework lawmaker Mohammad Al-Ziyadi confirmed, on Saturday, that his coalition is exerting pressure on Sunni political groups to expedite the election of a new Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament.
Al-Ziyadi told Shafaq News Agency, "Political disagreements among Sunni factions are delaying the election of the new Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament. Therefore, the Coordination Framework pushes these factions to resolve this issue quickly."
He added that the Coordination Framework has been transparent with Sunni political groups, stating that if disagreements persist in the coming days, a new parliamentary session will be convened to elect the Speaker, leaving the decision to the MPs. He emphasized that the issue cannot remain unresolved for months.
In related developments, Firas Al-Muslamawi, a lawmaker from the State of Law Coalition, part of the Coordination Framework, noted ongoing serious negotiations between political forces within the Coordination Framework and other Sunni blocs. However, he mentioned that no agreement has been reached on a specific candidate for the Speaker's position.
Al-Muslamawi indicated that if the Sunni factions reach a consensus on the election process for the Speaker, the Coordination Framework will support holding a session to elect the Speaker as soon as possible. He reiterated that Sunni groups are still engaged in discussions and have yet to agree on a specific candidate.
Earlier, Raad Al-Dahikli, a representative from the Sunni political alliance al-Azm, stated that there are "closed doors" regarding any attempts to amend the nomination system for the Speaker's position, which has been stalled since the judicial decision to remove Mohamed Al-Halbousi from office.
Al-Dahikli told Shafaq News Agency that "political pressure" is driving efforts to hold a session for electing the Speaker next week, noting that "candidates are available" and there is no need for re-nomination. He added that "political climate and pressure" will contribute to resolving the issue soon, attributing the delay to ongoing political disagreements.
Since the Federal Supreme Court's decision in November 2023 to remove Mohamed Al-Halbousi, political factions have struggled to elect a new Speaker due to persistent disagreements. The Coordination Framework has set July 20 as a deadline to resolve the Sunni disputes over the election of a new Speaker, after which the matter will be left to the Parliament members to choose a suitable candidate.
