Coordination Framework demands Sunni blocs to agree on a speaker

Shafaq News/ The Coordination Framework, an alliance of mainly Iran-backed Shiite political parties, on Monday reiterated its determination to hold a session to elect a new parliament speaker within a week.

In a statement released earlier today, the alliance urged "the honorable Sunni blocs to assume their responsibility towards filling this fundamental position in the political system within a week."

The Coordination Framework announced its intention to convene a session to elect a speaker after the week-long ultimatum expires in order to vote on the 2024 budget.

Notably, the Iraqi Parliament officially terminated former Speaker Mohammed Al-Halboosi's membership on November 21, 2023, following a lawsuit against him by former Lawmaker Laith al-Dulaimi. The lawsuit accused al-Halboosi of forging al-Dulaimi's resignation from Parliament, leading to the Federal Supreme Court's decision to end both memberships.

In January, an extraordinary parliamentary session convened to elect a new Speaker, with Shalaan al-Karim of the Taqaddum Party securing the most votes. However, the session faced disruptions and was adjourned due to verbal altercations within the chamber. Subsequent legal challenges and allegations of bribery further complicated the process.

The Federal Supreme Court recently announced a postponement in delivering a verdict on the lawsuit seeking to annul the election session for the Parliament Speaker until the beginning of April, extending the uncertainty surrounding the leadership transition. Additionally, the Federal Integrity Commission initiated an investigation into allegations of bribery offers made to MPs to influence their votes for the Parliament Speaker position on January 17 last year.