SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Thursday ruled to temporarily suspend the work of the new presidency of Iraqi Council of Representatives following complaints filed by two lawmakers.
The federal court issued a state order to temporarily suspend the work of the new presidency, elected in the first session of the parliament on Sunday.
The decision came after two lawmakers filed complaints against the first session of the Iraqi parliament, in which a speaker and its deputies were elected.
Lawmakers Basem Khashan and Mahmoud Dawd Yaseen claimed that the process of electing the presidency violated the constitution and the parliament’s by-laws.
“The decision … is final and binding on all authorities,” the federal court said in its ruling.
Lawmaker Khasan said earlier this week that he would file a complaint at the federal court against the parliament’s session due to violations against the constitution and laws, according to Shafaq News.
“After the incident of assaulting interim speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, the session lost its legitimacy. Therefore, any decision made during the session was invalid,” he was quoted as saying.
On Sunday, the Iraqi Council of Representatives held its first session to elect a speaker and its deputies.
Mashhadani who was the oldest lawmaker was chosen to chair the session. He was suddenly taken ill and transported to hospital by ambulance after disputes erupted between lawmakers of the Sadrist Movement and other Shia parties, together called the Coordination Framework.
Khalid al-Daraji resumed the first session after he assumed the interim speaker.
Lawmakers re-elected Sunni leader Mohammed al-Halbousi as the speaker and Hakim Zamli and Shakhawan Abdulla as deputies.
The suspension of works of the parliament’s presidency comes as parties nominate candidates for the position of Iraqi president. Thursday was the last day for submission.
Parliament has 30 days from the first session to elect the country’s new president, who will then ask the largest bloc in parliament to form a government.
