Iraqi Speaker faces ouster bid after Parliament clash
Shafaq News - Baghdad
Iraq’s Parliament postponed its session on Monday following a heated confrontation between Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, First Deputy Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi, and several members of the Coordination Framework, a ruling coalition of predominantly Shiite parties.
A parliamentary source told Shafaq News that 180 lawmakers had gathered for the session, the second since the legislature resumed following the summer recess on July 9. Tensions escalated shortly after the meeting opened, sparked by backlash over recent televised remarks by al-Mashhadani warning of possible public unrest and the emergence of an emergency government.
The dispute further intensified, prompting al-Mashhadani to leave the chamber and leading to the indefinite suspension of the session.
In the aftermath, lawmakers convened in the parliamentary cafeteria to discuss collecting signatures for a petition to remove the speaker from office. The move would not be unprecedented; former Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi was previously removed from his post following corruption-related accusations.
Al-Mashhadani’s comments, made during a Sunday appearance on Dijla TV, appeared to trigger the dispute. “Any collapse in Baghdad would immediately ripple across other provinces. Demonstrations could erupt next month, and the country could be forced into an emergency option,” he warned.
He also addressed the stalled legislation concerning the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), attributing the delay to external pressure. Al-Mashhadani claimed that the United States had blocked the bill from advancing in Parliament, expressing strong opposition to any effort to restructure the PMF.
“American officials informed all political leaders of their rejection of any effort to restructure the PMF and expressed a clear preference for merging it within the regular security forces,” he noted.
