Politics

Iraqi lawmakers elect Sadrist MP Hakim al-Zamili as first deputy speaker

Zamili is a prominent member of the Sadrist bloc, securing 182 out of 227 votes during the new legislative session's first gathering.

Kurdistan 24 2022/01/09 22:22

Hakim al-Zamili, the newly elected first deputy of Iraq's parliament. (Photo: AP)

Iraq Iraq Parliament Baghdad Sadrist Movement

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Lawmakers in the Iraqi parliament on Sunday elected Sadrist Movement representative Hakim al-Zamili as the body's first deputy speaker, in a vote after Mohamed al-Halbousi's re-election as speaker.

Zamili is a prominent member of the Sadrist bloc, securing 182 out of 227 votes during the new parliament's first session. His rival, Hamid Abbas al-Shiblawi, a member of Emtidad--the alliance that came out of Iraq's youth-led protest movement in 2019--only secured 34 votes.

Earlier Sunday, Mohammad al-Halbousi was re-elected as Iraq's parliament speaker for the second term by securing 200 votes.

Born in 1965, Zamili has been a member of the Iraqi parliament for its second and third legislative sessions and has headed the body's defense and security committee.

The newly-elected deputy was in US custody for a year and a half in 2007.