Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi and Second Deputy Speaker Farhad al-Atroshi exchange heated words during a session in Baghdad that escalated into a scuffle over disputed agenda additions.
Parliament session erupts in dispute as Halbousi pushes vote on army chief
BAGHDAD — A parliamentary session descended into a heated dispute Tuesday between Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi and Second Deputy Speaker Farhad Atroshi over the addition of voting items to the agenda, leading to a physical altercation among some lawmakers.
The disagreement occurred during a vote to add an item confirming Baghdad Mayor Ammar Mousa and Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah. Atroshi objected to the addition, though it was unclear whether his objection concerned both posts or only the army position.
During the session, Atroshi said, “This addition comes in violation of what was agreed upon,” and asked Halbousi, “Where is the balance?” The exchange escalated, with some members engaging in a scuffle on the chamber floor. Halbousi responded, “Do as you wish.”
Objections were raised not only by Atroshi, who belongs to the Kurdistan Democratic Party, but also by Sunni blocs, including Al-Azm, led by Muthanna al-Samarrai. Al-Azm rejected “breaking the balance” by granting the posts of Baghdad mayor and governor to one community.
Tensions have persisted between Halbousi’s Taqaddum party and the KDP. Despite that, the speaker and his deputy had conducted earlier sessions without dispute.
Following the session, Atroshi announced he would pursue legal action, stating that Halbousi had added items to the agenda without agreement and rushed votes on sensitive state positions, including the army chief of staff. He said the move violated Article Nine of the constitution and Article 37/Second of the parliament’s bylaws, describing the vote as a breach of national partnership, balance and political consensus.
In a statement, Atroshi said, “Iraq is going through difficult and highly complex circumstances, as well as challenging regional and international conditions. The Speaker of Parliament has taken a step that further complicates the political scene and raises many questions, through the suspicious haste in voting on certain special-grade positions.”
He added, “The Presidency of the Council of Representatives held several meetings before Tuesday’s session, during which the agenda items were agreed upon. These included voting on amendments to the internal bylaws to merge a number of committees, define their names, tasks and jurisdictions, in addition to a general discussion item. Unfortunately, what happened was the addition of other items to the agenda that had not been agreed upon, presenting the matter in this way to parliament and rushing the vote on sensitive state positions, including the chief of staff of the army. This raises major doubts for us and for other components, parties and partners in the political process.”
Atroshi said, “What happened today is a clear violation of Article Nine of the constitution and Article 37/Second of the internal bylaws. It constitutes a breach of national partnership, balance and political consensus and is completely unacceptable.”
He added, “This vote entails no legal or administrative consequences, and we will take all legal and constitutional measures, including resorting to the judiciary.”
On Wednesday, Yarallah issued his first statement after the vote, thanking parliamentary leaders, the prime minister and cabinet members for their confidence.