Iraqi court suspends newly elected parliament speaker, deputies for lawsuits

Baghdad, Jan 13 (UNI/Xinhua) The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the newly-elected parliament’s speaker and two deputies for two lawsuits filed by lawmakers.

The court move came at the request of two lawmakers, Basim Khashan and Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who claimed legal and unconstitutional violations during the first session of parliament on Jan. 9.
Under the court’s decision, Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and his two deputies, Hakim al-Zamili and Shakhwan Abdullah Ahmed, are suspended until the two lawsuits are resolved.
On Jan. 9, the Iraqi parliament held the first session of its fifth legislative term under the chairmanship of the eldest member of the parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, but the session was interrupted amid heated debate and chaos.
The Iraqi parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2022, were held on Oct. 10, 2021, in response to months of protests against corruption, poor governance, and a lack of public services.