Sunni Progress Party threatens political withdrawal over speaker dispute

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Sunni Progress Party has issued an ultimatum, declaring their intention to withdraw from the political process unless their candidate is accepted as the speaker of the Iraqi parliament.

 Yahya al-Muhammadi, the spokesperson for Mohammed al-Halbousi's Progress party, emphasized their refusal to compromise on this issue, citing their significant representation with 43 seats. If their demand is not met, they vow to boycott further political proceedings.

Mohammed al-Halbousi, who was ousted from the presidency of the Iraqi parliament on November 14 last year, has been embroiled in a contentious battle for the speaker's position.

In the initial round of the speaker's election, Shaalan al-Karim, the Progress Party candidate, secured 152 votes, while Saleem al-Isawi, the Sovereignty Alliance candidate, garnered 97 votes.

The standoff intensifies as the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance, alongside the al-Hasm and al-Azm alliances, stands firm in their insistence on the next speaker of parliament, while Mohammed al-Halbousi's Progress party remains resolute in retaining the position.

The situation underscores the political tensions and power struggles within Iraq's parliamentary landscape.