Parliament to postpone election of speaker until next legislative term – MP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: MP from the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), Hassan al-Sanied, said on Friday that electing the new speaker of the parliament will be postponed until next legislative term. “We will discuss the general budget in the coming few days before the parliament’s recess,” al-Sanied told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The parliament will elect the new speaker next legislative term,” he noted. The sorting process ended on Thursday (Feb. 19) with the participation of 234 lawmakers. MP Iyad al-Samarraie from the Sunni Iraqi Accord Front (IAF) won 136 votes, while his competitor Khalil Gaddou (The National Dialogue Council) got 81. The candidate must achieve a landslide vote to won the post. In December 2008, Mahmoud al-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. SH (P) 1