Iraq’s top court revokes Halbousi’s parliamentary membership

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Federal Supreme Court on Tuesday terminated the parliamentary membership of the powerful Sunni politician Mohammed al-Halbousi, ending his tenure as the speaker of the legislature. The move comes about one month before local elections.

The federal court’s decision came after another Sunni parliamentarian Laith al-Dulaimi filed a lawsuit against Halbousi, accusing him of forging an official document.

Halbousi is the head of the Taqadum Party, the largest Sunni bloc in the parliament. 

Dulaimi, who was expelled from the party last year for failing to follow its rules, claimed in his lawsuit that Halbousi faked his parliamentary resignation in 2022.

The top court also approved Dulaimi’s resignation from the parliament. 

Only members of the legislature can be appointed as the speaker of the legislature. 

Halbousi was re-elected as the speaker of the parliament in January last year. He is also a former governor of Iraq’s Sunni-majority Anbar province. 

Speaking during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Halbousi deemed the ruling "weird," adding that he will "resort to measures to preserve constitutional rights" without elaborating. 

Iraq will hold provincial council elections on December 18, the first of their kind since 2013. The term of the electoral commission is set to expire on December 7. If the parliament fails to extends the commission's term before this date, the fragile vote could be further delayed.