Iraqi parliament to hold first session to elect speaker

The KDP formally announced on Sunday morning ahead of parliament's meeting that Shakhawan Abdullah is the party's candidate for this position.
Iraqi parliament hall. (Photo: AFP)
Iraqi parliament hall. (Photo: AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Council of Representatives will hold its first meeting to elect the new parliament speaker on Sunday following months of negotiations on government formation among the victors of the October parliamentary elections. 

A day before the parliament holds its first meeting, its largest incoming Sunni blocs, the Progress Party of former parliament speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi and the Azm Alliance of Khamis al-Khanjar, announced they had nominated Halbousi for a second term as speaker.

The parties have also elected Khanjar as the leader of a new parliamentary coalition of the Progress Party and the Azm Alliance, Khanjar said in an announcement after top officials from the two sides met in Baghdad.

Read More: Mohamed al-Halbousi nominated as Iraqi parliament's speaker for second term

The parliament is also expected to elect two candidates for the two deputy speaker positions in the first session. One of these positions goes to the Shiites and the other to the Kurds. That position has traditionally gone to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) among the Kurds. The strong KDP candidates were Dr. Vian Sabri from Dohuk province, Shakhawan Abdullah from Kirkuk province, and Mohammed Sideeq from Erbil province.

The KDP formally announced on Sunday morning ahead of parliament's meeting that Shakhawan Abdullah is the party's candidate for this position.

The major Shiite blocs are still struggling to reach a final agreement over the government formation. Muqtada al-Sadr insists on forming a national majority government. A political alliance known as the Shiite Coordination Framework opposes this and instead call for the formation of another consensus government. 

Many Iraqi people view Sadr's demand for forming a national majority government as a positive change in the Iraqi political process that might lead to limiting regional and international influences over the country. However, some political observers think Iraq is not ready for this change and that it is better to form another consensus government that includes all different religious and ethnic groups. 

The two ruling Kurdish parties successfully formed a joint delegation that visited Baghdad and began holding talks with the Iraqi political parties over government formation. However, the two major parties have not yet reached an agreement on nominating a candidate for the position of Iraq's president. 

Read More: Top Kurdish, Iraqi party officials hold gov't formation talks in Erbil, Baghdad

Iraq's presidency has traditionally been given to the Kurds. Among the Kurds, the post has invariably gone to a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). However, KDP officials have always said the position is on negotiating table and isn't fixed for one particular party.