Iraqi Parliament postpones session to appoint new speaker

BAGHDAD, December 13 — Iraq’s parliament postponed a session on Tuesday to designate a new speaker, after Mohammed Al-Halbousi’s ouster last month.

Originally slated for Wednesday, the Iraqi parliament’s meeting aimed to appoint a successor to Al-Halbousi, however, the legislature’s press office released a statement indicating that a majority of lawmakers were focused on the upcoming provincial elections, leading to an indefinite adjournment of the session.

In the absence of a consensus among political parties regarding a candidate for the speaker’s position, a successor is unlikely to be appointed until a political agreement is reached.

On November 14, 2023, the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq suspended Al-Halbousi’s parliamentary membership and subsequently his role as the speaker following a complaint lodged by a fellow parliamentarian.