Speaker’s replacement debate put off

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Parliament on Sunday decided to postpone the debate over the Iraqi Accord Front’s (IAF) nomination of a replacement for the Parliament’s speaker. “The session, presided over by Sheikh Khaled Atiya, which was scheduled to debate the IAF’s candidate for the speaker’s position has been postponed until a political agreement is reached concerning the matter,” Shabak MP Hanin Qado from the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) told IraqiNews.com news agency. Today’s session tackled the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, Qado explained. Earlier today, a parliamentary media source said that Iraq’s Council of Representatives has opened its session with the IAF’s nomination of a replacement for the resigned Mahmoud al-Mashhadani. The name of the candidate has not been disclosed. Mashhadani stepped down as Parliament speaker following a heated argument with members of parliamentary committees, during which he allegedly used “offensive” language that prompted many parliamentarians to call for his resignation. SS (P)/SR 2