Sunni lawmaker on al-Zameli's row with al-Halboosi: no compromise

Shafaq News/ A member of the Sunni "al-Siyada" bloc said that the rancorous row between the Iraqi parliament speaker, Mohammad al-Halboosi, and his first deputy, Hakem al-Zameli, has failed to abate, urging the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, to intercede.

"There is still no agreement between Speaker al-Halboosi and his deputy Mr. al-Zameli," Lawmaker Mesh'an al-Jubouri tweeted, "we hope Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr intercedes to resolve it in accordance with the ruling of the Federal Court."

"We, al-Siyada, are staying in Homeland Rescue and committed to our agreements with the Sadrist movement. However, we will not compromise the causes of the people we represent."

Earlier this week, al-Halboosi issued a circular stipulating that administrative orders should not be put into force unless signed by him; and his Deputy, Hakem al-Zameli, adduces the Federal Supreme Court as a counter-argument.

In a correspondence to the Secretary-General of the Council of Representatives and its departments, al-Halboosi said, "pursuant to Articles 48 and 53 of the Parliament Law no. 13 of 2018, parliamentary decrees should not be issued unless appended by our signature."

Al-Zameli responded, "the Articles 8/2nd and 9 of the Internal law of the Iraqi parliament, relevant to the parliament presidium, are consistent with provisions of the constitution."

The Deputy Parliament Speaker said that the decree of the Federal Court cited in al-Halboosi's circular did not dismiss the parliament presidium unconstitutional.

"Moreover, the ruling is interpretive, not adjudicative," al-Zameli said, citing two decrees by the court mentioning the "parliament presidium" without questioning its constitutionality.

In a correspondence to the Secretary-General of the Parliament, he said that the laws relevant to the parliament presidium shall remain in force, stressing that the parliament presidium has the powers to monitor and observe the employees serving in the general secretariat of the council.

Al-Jubouri tweeted on April 4, "the conflict of al-Zameli with al-Halboosi and his insistence upon being a part of the parliament presidium, not a deputy, threatens to unravel the Homeland Rescue if the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, does not interfere."

"The constitution did not mention the term of 'parliament presidium'. The Supreme Court stressed that it does not exist. We have a parliament speaker and two deputies."

Last month, al-Halboosi issued a circular to change the address "parliament presidium" in the official correspondences. However, the advisor to the First Deputy reversed the decision for being "illegal".