Newspapers issued today, Sunday, paid attention to the parliament session to elect its president and the visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani to the Gaza Bridge project.
Al-Zawraa newspaper, which is published by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, said that the House of Representatives failed to elect its president despite MP Salem Al-Issawi leading MP Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani by 21 votes.
The Media Department of the House of Representatives said in a statement, ‘The results of the second round of electing the Speaker of Parliament included MP, Salem Al-Issawi obtaining 158 votes, while MP, Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani obtained 137 votes, and Amer Abdul-Jabbar 3 votes, and the number of invalid papers was 13.’
The House of Representatives was unable to hold a third round to elect its president, and decided to adjourn its session until further notice.
In addition, a verbal altercation and fist fight broke out between MPs from the Taqaddum Party and colleagues from other blocs over the election of a Speaker
of Parliament.
MPs of Taqadum are demanding that the bylaws of the House of Representatives be amended, before voting begins, for fear that Salem Al-Issawi will win the third round, according to a parliamentary source.
Footage from inside the parliament showed disagreements and fist fights between council members.
A video clip showed: ‘Sharp disagreements between members of the House of Representatives developed into fistfights and complete chaos inside the parliament.’
The Acting Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, had opened the Session No. (25), of the fifth electoral session, third legislative year, first legislative term, in the presence of (258) MPs.
The House of Representatives voted to extend its legislative term for 30 days.
A statement by the Media Department of the House of Representatives stated, ‘In confirmation of the decision taken by the Presidency of the House of Representatives, the House of Representatives voted to extend its legislative term for a period of
30 days.’
It added, “The Council also completed the report and discussion of the draft law on official holidays, as well as the report and discussion of the proposed law for the second amendment to the Independent High Electoral Commission Law No. (31) of 2019.”
Al-Zaman newspaper, for its part, said that the House of Representatives resorted to holding a decisive round between Salem Al-Issawi, who obtained 158 parliamentary votes in the counting and sorting process for electing the new Speaker of Parliament, and Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, who obtained 137 votes after neither of them was able to obtain majority during the session in which the competition intensified after the withdrawal of candidate Talal Al-Zubaie and the announcement of his support for the nomination of Al-Mashhadani, which was presented by a bloc that presented him as the majority candidate to head the position that remained vacant for more than six months after the membership of Muhammad Al-Halbousi was terminated by a decision of the Feder
al Supreme Court.
The results of the counting and sorting showed (Al-Issawi received 158 votes and Al-Mashhadani 137, while MP Amer Abdul-Jabbar got only three votes),
For his part, Acting Speaker of Parliament Mohsen Al-Mandalawi said that (the number of representatives voting in the second round to elect the Speaker of Parliament reached 311 ballot papers out of 329 MPs).
He added that (Parliament will either continue to hold its session or be postponed to another date).
Parliament voted to extend its legislative term for 30 days.
Yesterday’s statement said: ‘The Council also completed the report and discussion of the draft law on official holidays, as well as the proposed law on the second amendment to the law of the Independent High Electoral Commission.’
A parliamentary source had reported that the blocs of Taqadum, Al-Sadiqoun, Badr, State of Law, the PUK, and the representatives of Kirkuk and Babylion Governorates, headed by Rayan Al-Kildani, had voted for Al-Mashhadani as Speaker of Parliament.
T
he source said, ‘The session was preceded by holding individual meetings for members of the House of Representatives, away from the calculations of the heads of the political blocs, to choose a Speaker of the House from among the non-candidates.’
Al-Azm Alliance, headed by MP Muthanna Al-Samarrai, confirmed that the political forces held intensive meetings and contacts before the start of the session to elect the new Speaker of Parliament.
Coalition spokesman Azzam Al-Hamdani said in a statement yesterday, ‘The forces held intensive meetings and contacts before holding the session to elect the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and this is normal, as each party wants to gain votes for its candidates for this position, especially after the decline of the competition between Al-Issawi and Al-Mashhadani.’
He added, ‘All indications indicate that the parliamentary majority will vote in favor of Al-Issawi, but we have fears that some MPs will create problems and disrupt the election session through fighti
ng between some MPs, to prevent Al-Issawi from reaching the presidency of the House of Representatives,’ stressing that ‘there is parliamentary determination to elect the Speaker of Parliament,
He pointed out that ‘the Presidency of Parliament has taken strict and resolute measures against anyone who wants to create chaos inside the hall to thwart the election of the new president.’
Al-Sabah newspaper followed the Prime Minister’s visit to the Gaza Bridge project and said that the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, yesterday, Saturday, conducted a field visit to the (Gaza Bridge) project, linking the two banks of the Tigris River, at Zaafaraniya area and Dora-Youssefiya highway, which is the first bridge built on the Tigris River in Baghdad since the 1990s, and is one of the most prominent projects of the first package to relieve traffic congestion south of Baghdad.
Al-Sudani was briefed, according to a statement by his media office, on the progress of the ongoing work on the components of the proje
ct, which is scheduled to be completed before mid-2025, appreciating the efforts made in implementing this vital project, which is considered one of the most important projects that regulate transportation movement between Baghdad and nearby governorates.
He stressed the removal of all encroachments in the course of the project to speed up its implementation, directing that it be dealt with in accordance with the law and that its owners who own bonds be compensated, in coordination with the judicial authorities to resolve the issue of violations.
The Prime Minister also directed the implementing company that the project include all necessary services, work with three shifts a day, as well as increase the number of engineers in the Resident Engineer Department, and adopt safety procedures at work, stressing laboratory tests for all entering materials. He also directed the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Baghdad Municipality to prepare all requirements for implementing the project.
Source: National
Iraqi News Agency
