Single candidate agreement for Parliament Speaker 'unrealistic': Iraqi MP
"It's extremely difficult for parties to agree on one person who can represent all political forces as Parliament Speaker," she stated.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – On Saturday, an Iraqi Member of Parliament dismissed the possibility of political parties agreeing on a single candidate for the vacant parliamentary speaker position as "unrealistic," emphasizing that negotiations are still ongoing.
Zaytoun al-Dulaimi, a member of the Iraqi Parliament, told local media that the speaker position issue has become increasingly complex due to interference between Sunni and Shiite political forces in each other's affairs.
"It's extremely difficult for parties to agree on one person who can represent all political forces as Parliament Speaker," she stated.
Al-Dulaimi suggested that the most viable path forward would be to nominate two or three candidates for parliament members to vote on, noting that discussions are continuing in this direction.
Political Positions
The Alliance of Resolve (Azm) leader, Muthanna al-Samarrai, has declared that his coalition will boycott any parliamentary session that doesn't include the election of a new speaker.
In contrast, Khalid al-Obeidi, head of the al-Sadara bloc, stated on Friday that "Sunni consensus on nominating a single candidate for the speaker position would send a strong message of Sunni unity."
Background
The speaker position has been vacant since Nov. 14, 2023, when the Federal Court terminated the membership of both Mohammed al-Halbousi and Laith al-Dulaimi from parliament following internal disputes.
This decision automatically removed al-Halbousi from his position as Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament.
