Iraq's Supreme Court Dismisses Mohammed Halbousi from Parliament Presidency

Iraqi state media reported on Tuesday, November 14, that the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq issued a ruling ending Mohammed Halbousi's presidency of the Iraqi Parliament. In a video, Mr. Halbousi called the Supreme Court's decision 'strange' and implicitly deemed it a violation of the constitution and a destabilizer of national stability. He stated, 'The issuance of such decisions and the violation of the constitution is surprising.' According to Reuters, citing Iraqi state media, the Supreme Court's decision is related to a case filed against Mohammed Halbousi earlier this year. No further details have been provided, except that the court's ruling is final and cannot be appealed. Aamer Al-Faiz, an independent MP in the Iraqi Parliament, told Reuters that lawmakers had gathered for a regular parliamentary session, and Mohammed Halbousi was present at the time the ruling was issued but left the session upon hearing the Supreme Court's decision. Mohammed Halbousi, a Sunni Muslim born in 1982, was elected for a second term as the President of the Iraqi Parliament this year. According to the power-sharing system implemented since the adoption of Iraq's constitution after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the presidency of the parliament is the highest government position allocated to a Sunni Muslim. Accordingly, the Prime Minister is from the Shiite Muslim majority, and the ceremonial role of the President is held by a Kurd. The dismissal of Mohammed Halbousi comes about a month before the provincial council elections in Iraq, the last of which was held a decade ago. Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, the Shiite Deputy Speaker of Parliament, will temporarily preside over the legislative body until a new president is elected.