Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani (left) and Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, newly-elected speaker of parliament, in Baghdad on November 3, 2024. Photo: Office of the PM
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani congratulated newly-elected parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani following their meeting on Sunday in Baghdad.
According a statement from the prime minister’s office, Sudani “extended his congratulations to Mr. Al-Mashhadani on his election as Speaker,” lauding that the “important constitutional milestone reinforces political and social stability and strengthens the democratic choice of all political forces.”
Filling a post that has been vacant for a year, Mashhadani was elected parliament speaker on Thursday - winning a second round of voting over fellow Sunni politician Salem al-Issaw.
The premier emphasized “the importance of integration between the executive and legislative authorities to fulfill the government's program and meet public aspirations across various sectors.”
There has been no readout of the meeting from Mashhadani.
Last November, Iraq’s federal supreme court ruled to revoke the parliamentary membership of then Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. The Sunni strongman was accused of forging resignation papers for another lawmaker in 2022.
Halbousi’s Taqadum party and many Shiite blocks endorsed Tawafuq’s Mashhadani in Thursday’s vote, meeting one another on Saturday.
Senior Kurdish officials and leaders from the Kurdistan Region have congratulated Mashhadani on his appointment, expressing hope for cooperation on current issues.
Under Iraq’s sectarian power-sharing system, the post of parliament speaker is reserved for the Sunnis, the prime minister position for the Shiites, and the country’s presidency for the Kurds.
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