Azm Alliance: Parties await court decision on Iraqi Parliament Speaker election
Shafaq News / On Tuesday, the Azm Alliance, led by Muthanna al-Samarrai, revealed that political forces are awaiting the decision of the Federal Supreme Court to settle the file of electing the new Iraqi Parliament Speaker.
Fares Al-Fares, a leader in the alliance, told Shafaq News Agency that "all political parties are waiting for the decision of the Federal Supreme Court regarding the legality of the last session for the election of the Parliament Speaker, as well as the complaints and appeals against the candidate of the Takaddom Party, Shaa’lan al-Karim, who faces several challenges."
Al-Fares explained that "whatever the Federal Supreme Court issues will be a roadmap for political forces to finalize the election of the new Iraqi Parliament Speaker. No session can be held, and no candidate can be nominated without the Federal Supreme Court's decision on the appeals submitted to it."
On January 14, 2024, the Federal Supreme Court, the highest judicial authority in Iraq, received a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the nomination of Shaa’lan al-Karim for the position of the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament. The lawsuit was filed by deputies Yousif al-Kalabi and Falah al-Khazali.
The lawsuit requested a judicial order to suspend the election session until the lawsuit is resolved.
The first round of voting for the new Parliament Speaker concluded on January 13, 2024, with Shalan al-Karim, the candidate of the Al-Halbousi Bloc, leading with 152 votes, followed by Salem al-Issawi, the candidate of the Siyada Alliance, with 97 votes.
Subsequently, the Iraqi Parliament adjourned the session for the election of an alternative to Mohammed al-Halbousi, the ousted Parliament Speaker, following a brawl among MPs.
