Two blocs to boycott today's parliamentary session

Shafaq News/ The first deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament has adjourned an extraordinary session scheduled for today, Saturday, and two blocs said they will not attend amid chaos following Speaker Mohammad al-Halboosi's ouster.

The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court's surprise decision upended the career of the country's most powerful Sunni Muslim politician and set the stage for a fight over succession.

State media said the court decision, which is final and not subject to appeal, was related to a Federal Supreme Court case brought against him earlier this year by dismissed lawmaker Laith al-Dulaimi.

"The Emtidad and the Faw-Zakho blocs have decided to boycott today's session to protest the delay in opening the candidacy for a replacement for Mohammad al-Halboosi, the speaker whose tenure was ended," the head of the Faw-Zakho bloc, Amer Abdul-Jabbar said in a press conference at the parliament building earlier today.

"Why do they care about amending the election commission law and ignore electing a new speaker?" he said.

Earlier today, a press release by the parliament media office said that the first deputy speaker, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, postponed the session scheduled for earlier to 09:00 pm, without explaining the circumstances of the decision.