Sunni politician warns Shiite parties against delaying parliament speaker election
![Sunni politician warns Shiite parties against delaying parliament speaker election](https://media.shafaq.com/media/arcella/1722165816601.jpeg)
Shafaq News/ Haidar al-Mulla, a leader in the "Azm" coalition, on Sunday warned Shiite political forces against delaying the election of a new Iraqi parliamentary speaker.
"There is no connection between passing any law and holding a session to elect the parliament speaker," al-Mulla told Shafaq News Agency, adding, "Such an agreement does not exist."
Al-Mulla dismissed the notion of a Sunni-Sunni consensus as an obstruction tactic. "There has never been unanimous agreement on selecting any of the three presidencies in Iraq's political history," he said.
He acknowledged the possibility of majority rule but stressed that complete consensus is unrealistic. "Majorities must be respected in electing any presidency, but total agreement on a single candidate is non-existent. Advocates of this will face the consequences," he added.
"As we approach upcoming elections, it is clear that the Shiite political environment is at odds. Those calling for total consensus must realize that such obstruction will backfire on them and the political process," al-Mulla warned.
On Saturday, Mohammed al-Ziadi, a member of the Coordination Framework, said the Shiite coalition is pressuring Sunni forces to expedite the election of a new speaker due to ongoing disagreements.
Al-Ziadi told Shafaq News Agency that if a Sunni consensus is not reached, the Coordination Framework may call for a new session soon, leaving the vote to parliament members.
Firas al-Muslimawi, a member of the State of Law bloc in the Iraqi parliament, said Sunni discussions are underway without an agreement on a candidate. He confirmed that the Coordination Framework supports holding a voting session once an agreement is reached.
Raad al-Dahlaki, a Sunni lawmaker, said attempts to amend the nomination system are futile and that political pressure will likely lead to an election session next week, with candidates ready.
Iraqi political forces have been unable to elect a new speaker since Former Speaker Mohammed al-Halboosi's tenure as a parliament member was terminated in November 2023 due to disputes with a fellow lawmaker. The Shiite Coordination Framework set July 20 as the deadline to resolve Sunni disagreements, but no progress has been made.