On October 31 in a deal between the ruling Coordination Framework and the Sunni parties Mahmoud al-Mashadani was elected to return as the speaker of parliament. This ends an almost one year political dispute between the Shiite parties and highlights that they want pliant Sunni allies.
In November 2023 the Federal Supreme Court terminated Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi’s term. This came after Parliamentarian Laith al-Dulaimi filed a lawsuit against Halbusi for forging documents. Dulaimi claimed that Halbusi faked his resignation from parliament in 2022 and therefore was not legitimately a member of the assembly. Dulaimi was a former member of Halbusi’s Taqadum Coalition but was expelled in 2022 so this was an apparent act of revenge. More importantly he was working with the Coordination Framework that created the Sudani government. While Halbusi had worked with the ruling Shiite parties they wanted a new speaker that was more open to their influence.
The speakership was vacant for the next 11 months. That was fine with the Framework because one of its members Mohsen al-Mandalawi became the acting speaker.
As far back as May Mashadani was nominated for the position but could not get enough votes. The Framework blamed the Sunni parties for the failure to gain a majority but it was actually differences within the Shiite parties that was the real cause. Reports said that PM Mohammed al-Sudani and State of Law leader Nuri al-Maliki couldn’t agree upon a candidate. This was part of a larger power struggle between the two for control of the government. Maliki supported Mashadani while Sudani backed another candidate. In turn they attempted to gain allies within the Sunni parties to get their man elected. Eventually Maliki got enough Sunni lists behind Mashadani to push him to victory.
Mashadani held the speakership before from 2006-2008. While in office he was known as an ally of Prime Minister Maliki. He helped the premier pass important laws, blocked others that Maliki opposed and helped scuttle corruption investigations. (1) Most importantly Mashadani blocked a move by some of the ruling parties to hold a no confidence vote against the PM in 2007. (2) Those are all reasons why Maliki supported Mashadani to return as speaker.
Finally, the Shiite parties ignored Mashadani’s past because he is seen as a compliant ally. In April 2007 Mashadani and a leader within the Iraqi Accordance Front worked together to bomb parliament. Two suicide bombers entered the building with papers from Mashadani’s office. None of this was brought up despite the Shiite lists long history of accusing Sunni politicians of supporting the insurgency. Maliki and his allies are especially known for their paranoia and attacks upon Sunnis and attempts to weaken their political power. Now that has changed because after the war versus the Islamic State the ruling class has solidified its hold upon the state to that point that Sunnis are no longer seen as a real that. That plus Mashadani’s history with Maliki means he is seen as someone that will advance the Framework’s agenda. In return he will be given patronage he can hand out to his followers.
FOOTNOTE
1. Bakri, Nada, “In Iraq, Assertive Parliament Emerges Under New Speaker,” Washington Post, 5/27/09
2. Katzman, Kenneth, “Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks,” Congressional Research Service, 4/22/09
SOURCES
Al Aalem, “Bloc heads lose control .. Why were the representatives of the Framework divided over the President?” 5/19/24
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Bakri, Nada, “In Iraq, Assertive Parliament Emerges Under New Speaker,” Washington Post, 5/27/09
Bas News, “Shia Coalition Backs al-Mashhadani as New Speaker of Parliament,” 10/16/24
Buratha News, “Biography of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Mahmoud Al-Mashadani,” 10/31/24
Domergue, Jeremy and Cochrane, Marisa, “Balancing Maliki,” Institute for Understanding War, June 2009
Katzman, Kenneth, “Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks,” Congressional Research Service, 4/22/09
Al Mada, “Al-Maliki and Khazali compete to win the announcement of the name of the new Speaker of Parliament after Arbaeen,” 8/19/24
- “Al-Maliki returns to support Al-Mashadani and the latter is considered by a national consensus to nominate him for the presidency of Parliament,” 8/27/24
- “Al-Mashadani will not return .. How did Humam Hamoudi’s house meeting overthrow Al-Maliki’s candidate?” 5/19/24
NINA, “Al-Issawi gets 158 votes and Al-Mashhadani 137 votes at the end of the vote-counting process to elect the Speaker of Parliament,” 5/18/24
- “Al-Mashadani as Speaker of the House of Representatives,” 10/31/24
Partlow, Joshua, “Six Members of Sunni Bloc Quit Iraq Cabinet in Protest,” Washington Post, 6/30/07
Rayburn, Joel, Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance, Hoover Institution Press: Stanford, 2014
Rubin, Alissa, “Iraq Unsettled by Political Power Plays,” New York Times, 12/26/08
Rudaw, “Iraq’s top court revokes Halbousi’s parliamentary membership,” 11/14/23
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