Sunni political council meets following parliamentary leadership vote

BAGHDAD — The National Political Council, also known as the Sunni Framework, held a meeting Tuesday evening at the residence of Taqadum leader Mohammed al-Halbousi in Baghdad, attended by heads of political parties and alliances in the council, including newly elected Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi and Azm Alliance leader Muthanna al-Samarrai.

This marked the return of al-Samarrai to the council following a dispute over his previous intention to run for the speakership, a bid he later withdrew. Haibat al-Halbousi attended for the first time since securing the position.

Al-Halbousi, a senior figure in the Taqaddum Alliance, won the vote with 208 ballots. Salim al-Issawi received 66 votes and Amer Abduljabbar won 9, while 26 votes were declared invalid.

Parliament also elected Sadiqoun’s Adnan Fayhan as first deputy speaker and Farhad Atrushi, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, as second deputy speaker.

According to a statement, the council “congratulated the election of the speaker and his deputies” and affirmed its support for completing the remaining constitutional requirements “within their timeline,” including the selection of Iraq’s next president and the formation of a new government.

The statement added, “The meeting stressed the importance of strengthening joint coordination among the council’s leaders in the next stage regarding various national issues and files.”

Major Sunni parties announced the formation of the National Political Council in November, describing it as a unified Sunni platform meant to coordinate positions during the sixth parliamentary term and serve as a counterpart to the Shiite Coordination Framework, which led the formation of the outgoing government under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Parliament is expected to reconvene on Jan. 5.