'Parliament's Jan. 9 session was constitutional': Iraqi Federal Court

The Court rejected two lawsuits filed on Jan. 13 that claimed the session in which the Parliament's presidency was elected breached both the constitution and parliamentary procedure.
The Supreme Judicial Council building in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. (Photo: AFP)
The Supreme Judicial Council building in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. (Photo: AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Federal Court ruled on Tuesday that the Iraqi Parliament's first session on Jan. 9 was constitutional. 

The Court rejected two lawsuits filed on Jan. 13 that claimed the session in which the Parliament's presidency was elected breached both the constitution and parliamentary procedure.

Following the submission of these lawsuits, the Federal Court suspended the Parliament's speaker and his two deputies.

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Basim Khashan and Mahmood Yassen, two lawmakers close to the Iran-backed Shiite Coordination Framework, were behind the suits.

Verbal confrontations among various lawmakers marred the Jan. 9 session. The eldest member of Parliament, who is constitutionally mandated to chair the first session, required medical treatment at a nearby healthcare facility as a result. 

After tensions died down, 41-year-old Mohamed al-Halbousi, the Sunni Taqadum (Progress) party leader, was re-elected as parliament speaker for a second consecutive term. Sadrist Movement member Hakim al-Zamili was voted the first deputy speaker and Kurdish lawmaker Shakhwan Abdullah as the second deputy.

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Later, the Shiite Coordination Framework declared that it did not recognize the session's outcome. Iran-aligned movements did not fare well in Iraq's October election and have been alleging fraud since the results were announced.

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