Sunni coalition prepares to name next Iraq's Parliament Speaker
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq’s National Political Council – the coalition representing Sunni parties – will meet on Sunday to select its nominee for Speaker of Parliament, a source told Shafaq News.
Salah Al-Kubeisi, a member of the Sovereignty Alliance (Al-Siyada) led by Khamis Al-Khanjar, noted that choosing a speaker is a key step in advancing Iraq’s political process and meeting constitutional obligations.
“Today’s meeting follows an earlier postponed session,” he added, attributing the delay to organizational and technical reasons rather than political disagreements.
Several candidates remain under consideration, Al-Kubeisi pointed out, with the council aiming to pick a nominee who can secure broad support and manage the challenges of the next parliamentary term.
The National Political Council unites Sunni forces that won seats in the 2025 parliamentary elections, including Taqaddum (Progress) led by former Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi, the Sovereignty Alliance under Al-Khanjar, Al-Azm (Determination Party) headed by Muthanna Al-Samarrai, and Al-Hasm Al-Watani led by Thabet Al-Abbasi.
On November 11, Iraq concluded its sixth parliamentary election since 2003, with nationwide turnout surpassing 56%. Final results confirmed by Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) showed Shiite parties securing 187 seats, Sunnis winning 77, and Kurds obtaining 56.
Under Iraq’s power-sharing system, the premiership is assigned to a Shia figure, the speakership to a Sunni, and the presidency to a Kurd. With all forces securing a significant number of seats, selecting these positions has become a process shaped by cross-component bargaining and continuous recalculation.
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