"The Coordination Framework called on the esteemed Sunni blocs to take responsibility regarding the vacancy of this key position in the political system within a week," read a statement from the pro-Iran Coordination Framework.
The statement added that the bloc intends to hold a parliamentary session following the one-week deadline to address the speaker situation and prepare for voting on the country’s 2024 budget.
The Iraqi parliament has been without a speaker since the Federal Supreme Court on November 14 ruled to end Mohammed al-Halbousi’s tenure as speaker and revoke his parliamentary membership.
The legislature previously attempted to vote on the new speaker on January 13, but after repeated delays no candidate was able to obtain an absolute majority, pushing the vote into a second round which was never held. Taqadum’s Shaalan al-Karim and Sunni Sovereignty bloc’s Salem al-Issawi received the highest number of votes in the first round.
Under Iraq’s sectarian power-sharing system, the post of the parliament speaker is always reserved for the Sunnis, the prime minister position for the Shiites, and the presidency for the Kurds.
In March, the Sunni Sovereignty, Azm, and Hasm blocs decided to boycott the sessions of the parliament amid row with the Taqadum party, the legislature’s largest Sunni bloc over the position.
Lawmakers of Taqadum, headed by ousted speaker Halbousi, insist that the party is entitled to the speakership on account of having the largest Sunni bloc in the parliament.
Since Halbousi’s sacking, First Deputy Speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi has chaired meetings of the legislature. The parliament currently has no scheduled date to vote on a new speaker.
