Disputes have resurfaced among Iraqi political forces in the battle for the presidency of the parliament after a failure to complete the election process due to political disagreements. The level of conflict rose today, Monday, after the State of Law Coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki vowed to overturn the results of the first round in which the candidate from "Taqaddum," Shalaan al-Karim, was in the lead, affirming its total rejection of his nomination for "glorifying the Baath Party" in light of the Accountability and Justice Law that prohibits such. They have filed a lawsuit with the Federal Supreme Court to nullify his membership in the parliament.
The parliament failed for the third consecutive time to elect a president to succeed Muhammad al-Halbousi, who was excluded by a judicial decision. The presidency of the parliament decided yesterday (Sunday) to adjourn the session until further notice after two rounds of voting, the second of which ended in brawls and disputes that disrupted the voting process. The adjournment reflects the continued disagreements among political blocs and their inability to overcome these conflicts and agree on a consensus candidate.
The first round of voting concluded with Shalaan al-Karim leading with 152 votes, followed by MP Salim al-Aisawi, the candidate for the Sovereignty Alliance with 97 votes, among five deputies: Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, Salim al-Aisawi, Shalaan al-Karim, Talal al-Zubaie, and Amer Abdul Jabbar. The sixth candidate, Abdul Rahim al-Shammari, withdrew in favor of Shalaan al-Karim before the session began.
The session was marked by unstable atmospheres and quarrels from deputies in the "Coordination Framework" alliance who sought to prevent the victory of the "Taqaddum" party's candidate, prompting the presidency of the parliament to adjourn the session. A number of deputies from the "Coordination Framework" submitted a request to the parliament's presidency to add an amendment to the internal regulations to limit the powers of the President of the Council, which caused tension inside the session.
Kurdish forces MP Sarwa Abdul Wahid stated that "the initiative to amend the internal regulations and abolish the powers of the president of the council during the voting process for selecting the president led to the adjournment of the session until further notice."
MP Faras Al-Muslmawi from the State of Law Coalition revealed the use of "political money" in a disgusting and unconstitutional manner during the session, stressing that it is a disgrace for everyone who participated and contributed to that. He pointed out that there is no personal desire to prevent al-Karim; rather, it is the Accountability and Justice Law that prevents him, calling the glorification of the Baath Party a crime. He emphasized that they will not remain silent about this even considering his position as a member of parliament, as deputies have gone to the Federal Supreme Court and confirmed the invalidity of Shalaan al-Karim's membership as a deputy in the House of Representatives "he is completely rejected."
The Federal Supreme Court received a lawsuit yesterday, Sunday, to nullify Shalaan al-Karim’s nomination for the presidency of the House of Representatives, which included a request for a provisional order to suspend the election session until the lawsuit is resolved. Legal advisor to the Legislative Council of the Parliament Ghazi Faisal Mahdi stated that "the Accountability Law defines the regime's collaborators and those cooperating with them, so anyone who glorifies and regrets what happened with the previous regime is considered a collaborator, which is prohibited by the constitution for all Iraqis." He considered that these traits are unworthy of a parliament member, and even more so for the president of the council; therefore, it is preferable not to run for the presidency.
Furthermore, legal expert Salem Hawaas confirmed that issues regarding the glorification of the previous Iraqi regime and its party fall under the jurisdiction of the judiciary and not the Accountability and Justice Authority. Hawaas expressed astonishment at "the proposals of some deputies to refer MP Shalaan al-Karim, the candidate for the presidency of the parliament, to the Accountability and Justice Authority for accusing him of promoting and glorifying Saddam Hussein's regime and his party as it contradicts the relevant legal jurisdiction."
Legal expert Ali Kazem Al-Rifai asserted that the MP enjoys immunity, and the accusation against Shalaan al-Karim regarding the promotion of the Baath Party requires going to court and formally accusing him after lifting his immunity.
