SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled to reject an appeal against the first session of the Iraqi parliament.
The federal court held a session on Tuesday to decide on the legality and constitutionality of the first session of Iraq’s Council of Representatives.
The court said the appeal filed by lawmaker Khalid al-Duraji did not contradict the provisions of the constitution, according to the official Iraqi news agency (INA).
It also annulled the decision which it made to suspended the work of the Iraqi parliament’s presidency.
On Jan. 13, the federal court ruled to temporarily suspend the work of the newly-elected presidency of the parliament after lawmakers Basem Khashan and Mahmoud al-Mashhadani filed complaints against the parliament’s first session.
Lawmaker Khasan said he would file a complaint at the federal court against the parliament’s session due to violations against the constitution and laws.
“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.
