Ammar Al-Hakim, the head of the Hikma Movement (right) met with Hadi Al-Amiri, the leader of the Al-Fatah Alliance (left) on Saturday
Media Monitor
Al-Hakim, Al-Amiri urge Sunni bloc to finalize candidate for parliamentary speaker
BAGHDAD — Ammar Al-Hakim, leader of the Hikma Movement, met with Hadi Al-Amiri, head of the Al-Fatah Alliance, on Saturday to renew calls for the Sunni bloc to finalize its candidate for the Iraqi Parliament Speaker position. The leaders stressed that reaching a consensus among Sunni representatives would “ease the burden on the other components” of the political system.
The selection of 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, leaving the position vacant. Under Iraq’s post-2003 political system, the Speaker’s role is traditionally reserved for Sunnis, while the Prime Minister’s post goes to Shiites and the Presidency to Kurds.
In late August, Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, a leading candidate for the Speaker position, claimed to have secured the support of a majority of lawmakers, positioning himself as the frontrunner in the ongoing race.
Earlier this year, in May, a marathon parliamentary session saw three rounds of voting among four candidates. In the final rounds, MPs Salem al-Issawi and Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani emerged as the top contenders. Al-Issawi led with 158 votes to Al-Mashhadani’s 137 in the second round. However, tensions escalated during the third round, leading to an adjournment without a final resolution.
A statement from Al-Hakim’s Office read:
Ammar Al-Hakim, the head of the Hikma Movement, met with Hadi Al-Amiri, the leader of the Al-Fatah Alliance, to exchange views on the latest political developments in Iraq and the region and the nature of upcoming obligations. Both leaders emphasized the need to provide services, create job opportunities, and achieve sustainable development.
The two sides renewed their call for the Sunni component to finalize its candidate for the parliament Speaker position, stating that consensus among the representatives of the Sunni component would ease the burden on the representatives of other components.
The leaders also reiterated the necessity of halting the war on Gaza and held the international community responsible for the continued bloodshed of innocent women and children.
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