Peregraf – The first session of Iraq’s sixth parliamentary term began today, with Amer Al-Fayez, the eldest member, presiding as Acting Speaker. During the session, all newly elected Members of Parliament officially took their constitutional oaths.
Al-Fayez urged the MPs to respect the constitutional deadlines for electing the Parliament’s leadership, emphasizing that the Speaker and two Deputy Speakers must be chosen today.
Key Positions and Contenders
Leadership roles in the new parliament follow Iraq’s established political distribution:
• Speaker of Parliament (Sunni Component): Two main candidates are in contention – Haibat al-Halbousi and Muthanna al-Samarrai.
• First Deputy Speaker (Shia Component): Reserved for the Shia quota.
• Second Deputy Speaker (Kurdish Component): Three candidates are competing, with Shakhawan Abdullah of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) seen as the frontrunner.
The session marks the official start of Iraq’s new legislative term amid heightened political anticipation over the distribution of key leadership positions.