Iraq’s Al-Siyada party calls for emergency meeting to nominate Sunni Speaker candidate
Shafaq News/ Al-Siyada Party (Sovereignty), led by Khamis al-Khanjar, announced plans to hold an "emergency" meeting in Baghdad, gathering Sunni political forces to select a candidate for the role of Speaker of Parliament.
In a statement released on Friday, Al-Siyada said it would extend formal invitations to leaders of Sunni parties, coalitions, and blocs to meet in the capital within the next two days. “The gathering aims to address Sunni internal matters, discuss the Speaker's role, and back a consensus candidate representing the Sunni majority and public aspirations.”
The statement also urged political partners to “respect the choice of the Sunni majority” and avoid holding any parliamentary sessions to elect the Speaker without “authorization” from the Sunni representatives convening in Baghdad.
On Wednesday, a joint statement issued by six Sunni political parties: Taqaddum, al-Jamaheer al-Wataniya, al-Hasm, the Iraqi National Project, al-Sadara, and al-Mubadara parties, presented two options to solve the Parliament Specker dilemma.
The first option calls for all competing parties to withdraw their candidates and for all national forces present to support Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who has already gained the backing of the Sunni parliamentary and political majority.
The second option involves proceeding with legal measures in Parliament to nominate a new candidate from the Sunni political majority, supported by a large parliamentary bloc, ensuring the Sunni majority's right to appoint their representative to this crucial position.
The joint statement urged all political forces to “avoid succumbing to individuals or groups attempting to bypass the Sunni majority’s rightful claim and undermining the democratic principles and national rights that ensure all Iraqis participate without exclusion or marginalization in shaping their future.”
Notably, the Shia Coordination Framework, representing the main Shia political forces, announced its support for al-Mashhadani last week, aiming to resolve the parliamentary leadership crisis that has persisted for over 11 months following the Federal Court's decision to terminate Mohammad al-Halbousi’s membership in November 2023.
Despite several parliamentary sessions held to elect a new Speaker, political factions have failed to reach a consensus. The Taqaddum bloc, led by al-Halbousi, insists on retaining the position as its entitlement, while Al-Siyada bloc, led by al-Khanjar, and other Sunni groups argue that the seat should represent the entire Sunni community, not just a single party or bloc.
