Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani claims ‘majority support’ for speaker nomination

BAGHDAD — Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, a leading candidate for the Iraqi Speaker of Parliament, has announced that he has secured the backing of a majority of lawmakers, positioning himself as the frontrunner in the prolonged race for the Speaker’s position. This role has been vacant for over nine months due to divisions among Sunni political groups.

“It is my honor and privilege that the majority of the national spectrum in Parliament has agreed on my nomination for speaker, resolving the disputes surrounding this matter,” Al-Mashhadani stated on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.

Al-Mashhadani has committed to upholding the trust placed in him, promising to “work for the benefit of all, as required by the public interest, in accordance with the parliament’s internal regulations, while respecting the legal and constitutional framework in managing the Parliament.” He emphasized the importance of prioritizing national interests over partisan politics with his remark, “The nation comes before the component, and the component before the political entity,” referencing the Sunni community.

The process to select a new Speaker has faced delays since last November when Iraq’s judiciary annulled the membership of then-Speaker, Mohamed Al-Halbousi, following a legal challenge. Sunni political forces have since struggled to unite behind a single candidate for the speaker position, a role traditionally reserved for Sunnis in Iraq’s post-2003 political system, which also assigns the Prime Minister’s post to the Shiites and the Presidency to the Kurds.

During a marathon session on May 25, 2024, parliament held three rounds of voting among four candidates, with a tight contest between MPs Salem al-Issawi and Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani in the final rounds. Al-Issawi led with 158 votes to al-Mashhadani’s 137 in the second round. Tensions escalated in the third round, leading to an adjournment without a resolution.

This standoff follows four unsuccessful attempts to elect a new Speaker, highlighting ongoing challenges within Sunni political factions to reach a consensus. Most recently, in mid-January, a session was suspended after Shiite political forces rejected “Taqadum” nominee Shalan Al-Kareem, despite his lead in the first round of voting.

Since then, alliances have shifted, with a coalition of Sunni political forces recently endorsing Al-Mashhadani. “In response to the efforts of national forces from the Coordination Framework and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and to resolve the issue of electing a Speaker while adhering to the Federal Court’s decision and avoiding constitutional errors, we announce our support for Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani for the Speaker position, recognizing his professionalism and wisdom,” a joint statement from the Azm and Siyada coalitions read.

Despite this broad endorsement, a new date for Parliament to elect a Speaker has yet to be scheduled, continuing the deadlock.