Muthanna Al-Samarrai quits race for Iraqi Speaker

Shafaq News– Baghdad

Al-Azm Alliance leader Muthanna Al-Samarrai on Monday withdrew from the race for Iraqi parliament speaker, hours after declaring his candidacy.

Addressing his fellow MPs, Al-Samarrai described his withdrawal as a response to calls from the Coordination Framework, a predominantly Shiite alliance that has recently emerged as the largest parliamentary bloc, and demands from several Sunni forces.

Earlier today, the Iraqi Parliament convened the inaugural session of its sixth term, with the parliament’s eldest member, Amer Al-Fayez, closing nominations for the speaker post. The list of candidates includes Amer Abdul-Jabbar, Salem Al-Issawi, and Haibet Al-Halbousi.

Under established political tradition, the position of parliament speaker is assigned to the Sunni component, the first deputy speaker to the Shiite component, and the second deputy speaker is reserved for the Kurdish parties.

Article 55 of the Iraqi Constitution states that the speaker and deputy speakers of the parliament are to be elected by direct secret ballot and an absolute majority of the 329 members, meaning a candidate must secure at least 166 votes.

The first deputy speaker is elected immediately afterward, followed by the second deputy speaker using the same procedure.

Read more: Iraq’s speakership: Two decades of constitutional rules and backroom deals