Kurdish MP: Absence of Parliament Speaker does not affect House operations
Shafaq News / A Kurdish parliamentarian anticipated on Tuesday that Sunni parties would reach an agreement on a single candidate for the presidency of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, replacing the ousted President, Mohammed al-Halbousi, by a judicial decision. The parliament's president's absence, he affirmed, would not affect the council's operations.
Dara Sekaniani stated, "Over the past week, three emergency meetings were held to settle the issue of the election commission and the matter related to Law No. 31 of 2019 concerning the election commission. Discussions were also held to elect the President of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, but the Sunni parties requested a postponement of the session."
Sekaniani, a member of the Islamic Union of Kurdistan, added, "We expect Sunni parties to agree on a single candidate for the presidency of the parliament and present him to the parliamentary session for voting. Consequently, he will be granted confidence by other parties."
He explained that "one of Iraq's problems is the delay in settling such issues, but it is expected that another session will be held during or after the legislative recess to resolve the issue of the parliament's president."
Moreover, he stated that "the absence of the parliament's president does not pose an obstacle to the council's operations, as Article 35 of the Iraqi Council of Representatives' internal regulations grants the deputy president the authority in case of the president's absence or non-attendance."
Furthermore, a political source disclosed on Monday the nominated names to assume the position of the Council of Representatives' president, replacing the impeached president, Mohammed al-Halbousi.
The source informed Shafaq News Agency that the nominated names for the parliament's presidency, officially received by the Coordination Framework from the Sunni forces, are Salem Mutar Al-Essaawi, Shaalan Al-Karim, Abdul Karim Abtan, and Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani.
Earlier today, the Leadership Alliance presented the names of its candidates to assume the position of the Council of Representatives' president.
A brief statement from the Coordination Framework mentioned, "The Secretary-General of the Coordination Framework, Abbas al-Ameri, announced the reception of the names of the candidates for the presidency of the parliament from the Leadership Alliance."
The Leadership Alliance includes al-Siyada Alliance headed by Khamees Al-Khanjar and Taqaddom Party led by the former Speaker of the Council of Representatives.
It is noteworthy that the Federal Supreme Court, the highest judicial authority in Iraq, announced on Tuesday, November 14th, the termination of the parliament's president, Mohammed al-Halbousi's membership. This decision followed a lawsuit filed against him by MP Laith al-Dulaimi, accusing him of forging al-Dulaimi's resignation from the parliamentary membership, which led the Federal Court to terminate their memberships (al-Halbousi and al-Dulaimi).
