Al-Mashhadani Fills Two-Year Vacancy as Iraq’s Parliament Speaker

Iraqi lawmakers cast their votes to elect the parliament speaker on October 31, 2024 (Parliament Media)
Iraqi lawmakers cast their votes to elect the parliament speaker on October 31, 2024 (Parliament Media)
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Al-Mashhadani Fills Two-Year Vacancy as Iraq’s Parliament Speaker

Iraqi lawmakers cast their votes to elect the parliament speaker on October 31, 2024 (Parliament Media)
Iraqi lawmakers cast their votes to elect the parliament speaker on October 31, 2024 (Parliament Media)

The Iraqi parliament elected veteran politician Mahmoud al-Mashhadani as its new speaker on Thursday, ending a two-year vacancy in the position.
During the voting session, lawmakers considered candidates including al-Mashhadani, Salim al-Aisawi, Talal al-Zubai, and Amer Abdul Jabbar.
In the first round, 271 members voted, with al-Mashhadani receiving 153 votes and al-Aisawi getting 95. The Iraqi constitution requires an absolute majority—more than half of the 329 members—to win the speakership.
As a result, a second round of voting was held with 269 lawmakers participating. Al-Mashhadani won decisively, securing 182 votes to officially become the speaker of parliament.
Political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that lawmakers from the State of Law coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, supported al-Mashhadani, creating an unusual alliance with former parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi.
Al-Halbousi, who leads the Takadum (Progress) Party representing the Sunni majority, held lengthy talks with Sunni leaders late Wednesday into Thursday. These discussions reportedly resulted in a consensus to nominate al-Mashhadani.
Initially, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan opposed al-Mashhadani’s election. However, he spoke with the party’s parliament members just hours before the vote, easing their objections.
Hours before the voting session, al-Mashhadani called on political blocs to support his candidacy to end a long-standing crisis. In contrast, rival al-Aisawi urged lawmakers to protect democracy by resisting any pressure on their political choices.
Parliamentary sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that al-Maliki and al-Halbousi arrived at the parliament before the second round of voting to rally support for al-Mashhadani, including from Sunni lawmakers who initially backed al-Aisawi.
Lawmakers had repeatedly failed to elect a parliament speaker due to deep divisions within the Sunni bloc and attempts by Shia factions to push for a single Sunni candidate.
The Shiite “Coordination Framework” controls the 329-member parliament, despite differing views among its leaders.
Al-Mashhadani, a physician with an Islamic background, has re-entered the political scene nearly 16 years after his removal as speaker of the Iraqi parliament.
Born in Baghdad in 1948, he completed his education there before attending medical school in 1966. He graduated and became a first lieutenant in the Iraqi army in 1972, serving as a physician.
Elected as parliament speaker on Thursday, al-Mashhadani is the first legislative leader in Iraq since 2003 and previously held the position of president of the Arab Parliament Union in 2008.

 



WHO: Attacks on Health Care Workers in Lebanon on the Rise

A damaged building at the site of an Israeli military strike in Dahieh, a suburb in southern Beirut, Lebanon, 01 November 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
A damaged building at the site of an Israeli military strike in Dahieh, a suburb in southern Beirut, Lebanon, 01 November 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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WHO: Attacks on Health Care Workers in Lebanon on the Rise

A damaged building at the site of an Israeli military strike in Dahieh, a suburb in southern Beirut, Lebanon, 01 November 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
A damaged building at the site of an Israeli military strike in Dahieh, a suburb in southern Beirut, Lebanon, 01 November 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

The World Health Organization is deeply concerned about rising attacks on health care workers and facilities in Lebanon, a WHO official said on Friday.

While 55 attacks have been verified, the actual number of incidents is likely to be significantly higher, Margaret Harris said at a UN briefing.

Six Lebanese health workers were killed and four wounded in Israeli strikes across south Lebanon on Thursday, the health ministry said in a statement.

The strikes killed five paramedics with the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee and one with the Amal-linked Risala Scouts, the ministry said.

The total number of health workers killed by Israel since October 2023 rose to 178 and 279 wounded, the ministry added.