Sunni political bloc delays decision on parliament speaker candidate

BAGHDAD — The National Political Council, known as the Sunni Framework, said it has “postponed” a decision on its nominee for parliament speaker until a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 23.

In a statement, the council said its leadership met Sunday evening in Baghdad at the residence of Thabet al-Abbasi, head of the Taqaddum Alliance, with the participation of leaders of parties and alliances that make up the council.

The statement said the meeting focused on constitutional entitlements and the need to continue internal dialogue, adding that members agreed to hold another meeting Tuesday to continue discussions and settle the speaker nomination.

The council also affirmed its commitment to the constitutional timeline ahead of the first parliamentary session, scheduled for Dec. 29, 2025, saying it aims to resolve the selection of the parliament speaker candidate.

Iraq’s president issued a decree on Dec. 16 calling the newly elected Council of Representatives into its first session on Dec. 29, following the Federal Supreme Court’s ratification of the final results of the Nov. 11 parliamentary elections. Under an informal post-2003 power-sharing convention, the speakership is typically held by a Sunni politician, the prime ministership by a Shiite figure and the presidency by a Kurd.

The Supreme Judicial Council has said the timeline began on Dec. 14, the day the election results were certified, requiring parliament to elect a speaker and two deputies within 15 days. Iraq’s Nov. 11 elections filled all 329 seats, with the Reconstruction and Development Coalition led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani winning 46 seats, short of a majority, leaving government formation dependent on negotiations among multiple blocs.