State of Law Coalition Weighs Removing Iraqi Parliament Speaker

The State of Law Coalition has discussed the idea of dismissing Iraq’s Parliament Speaker and a proposed “alliance of the powerful” initiative, as political tensions continue to shape the workings of the legislature. Coalition spokesman Aqeel al-Fatlawi said the move is being considered within the framework of parliamentary procedure. Al-Fatlawi said a group in parliament made up of different political forces and independent lawmakers aims to monitor the performance of the Speaker’s office. He said the structure was created to prevent certain decisions from being blocked and would operate in accordance with the law. He added that the coalition is waiting for the process to improve before taking any direct step. The idea of removing the speaker, he said, depends first on negotiations and on whether promises made by political actors are fulfilled.