BAGHDAD, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi federal court ruled Tuesday to terminate the tenure of Iraq's Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and his rival Sunni lawmaker Laith al-Dulaimi due to a feud between the two and legal violations.
As shown in a video footage circulated by local media, Jassim al-Omairi, president of the federal court, read the court's ruling: "The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq decided to terminate the membership of the Speaker of the Council of Representatives (Parliament), Mohammed al-Halbousi, and to terminate the membership of Representative Laith al-Dulaimi."
After many court sessions and mutual accusations between al-Halbousi and al-Dulaimi, the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq ruled that al-Halbousi was practicing illegal procedures after al-Dulaimi filed a lawsuit accusing al-Halbousi of forging al-Dulaimi's signature on a resignation letter.
"The court's decision is effective from the date of issuance on Nov. 14, 2023," he said, adding that "the court's decision is a final ruling that is binding on all authorities."
The court's ruling was issued while the parliament was convened. "I am surprised by the issuance of these decisions, but unfortunately, some people seek to destabilize the country," al-Halbousi told lawmakers before he ended the parliament session, according to a separate video footage circulated by local media.
After the court's decision was made known, the leaders and lawmakers of the Taqaddum Party, which al-Halbousi leads, held a meeting to discuss the situation after the termination of his membership in parliament. They decided to withdraw the party's three ministers of Planning, Industry, and Culture, from the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, and to boycott the parliament sessions.
According to the power-sharing system in Iraq after 2003, the presidency should be reserved for the Kurds, the speaker's post for the Sunnis, and the prime minister's post for the Shiites.
On Jan. 9, 2022, the parliament re-elected al-Halbousi as its speaker after months of political wrangling following the early elections on Oct. 10, 2021. He was elected for the first time to the post on Sept. 15, 2018.
According to the internal regulations of the Iraqi parliament, if the post of parliament speaker or any of his two deputies becomes vacant, the parliament shall elect a successor by an absolute majority in accordance with the political balance between the blocs. ■
