SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives visited Iran on Wednesday to hold meetings with Iranian officials amid Iraq’s political stalemate.
Halbousi accompanied by a delegation including lawmakers was welcomed by the deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament upon his arrival to Tehran on Wednesday morning.
Halbousi’s visit was at the request of Iranian parliament’s speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, his office said in a statement.
He’s expected to hold meetings with the Iranian foreign minister and the secretary of supreme national security council in Tehran.
His office said Halbousi would discuss the latest developments and the formation of a new government in Iraq during his visit.
Iraq entered a political stalemate after the Council of Representatives failed to select a president in three sessions due to disagreements between the political parties.
Under a power-sharing system designed to avoid sectarian conflict, Iraq’s president is a Kurd, its prime minister a Shia and its parliament speaker a Sunni.
A tripartite alliance formed by the Sadrist Movement led by Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, Sunni Taqaddum party and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) attempted to form the largest parliamentary bloc to elect KDP’s presidential candidate Rebar Ahmed, competing against incumbent Barham Salih of the PUK.
Following the alliance’s failure, Sadr said he would give the Coordination Framework the chance to form the country’s next government.
The 40-day window offered by Sadr started on April 2 on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
