SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned a session to decide on the cases against the first session of parliament to January 25.
The Iraqi federal court held a session to review complaints filed by lawmakers Basem Khashan and Mahmoud Dawd Yaseen against the first session of the Council of Representatives held on January 9.
The lawmakers claimed that the process of electing the presidency violated the constitution and parliament’s by-laws.
On Jan. 13, the federal court ruled to temporarily suspend the work of the newly-elected presidency of the parliament following the complaints.
“The federal court wrote down the plaintiffs’ statements about the case on the first parliament’s session,” state news agency INA reported.
“The court decided to postpone the case to January 25.”
Lawmaker Khasan said last 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 January 9, 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.
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.
