Iraqi Shiite Coordination Framework schedules parliamentary vote for new speaker

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Coordination Framework, an alliance of Shiite political forces, announced on Monday an agreement to convene a parliamentary session this Thursday to elect a new speaker of the Council of Representatives.

An informed source told Shafaq News that “the Coordination Framework held its regular meeting on Monday, during which all leaders agreed to hold a parliamentary session on Thursday to elect a new speaker.”

Earlier on Monday, Mehdi Taqi Amerli, head of the Badr parliamentary bloc, confirmed to Shafaq News that a political consensus had been reached to resolve the speaker's election in Thursday's session.

“The Council of Representatives’ presidency has scheduled Thursday’s session for the speaker election,” Amerli stated, adding that no amendments to the parliamentary bylaws were proposed and that a firm agreement was in place to finalize the speaker selection before the week’s end.

Notably, the Framework expressed in many occasions its support for Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani for parliament's presidency.

Last Wednesday, a coalition of six Sunni factions led by Mohammad al-Halbousi of the Progress Party (Al-Taqadum) set out two pathways to expedite the speaker’s election, attempting to end the prolonged impasse that has stalled the decision for nearly a year.