Iraq Supreme Court dismissed powerful parliament speaker

BAGHDAD: Iraq´s top court said on Tuesday it was dismissing Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbussi, an influential Sunni Muslim politician, after a lawmaker´s complaint over the alleged “falsification” of a document.

“The Federal Supreme Court ends the mandate of the President of Parliament” Halbussi, in office since 2018, the court said in a short online statement. It added that it had also ended the mandate of the Sunni lawmaker, Laith al-Duleimi.

Halbussi has been the highest ranking Sunni official since he became speaker in 2018 of the parliament, which is dominated by Shiite parties. The court began reviewing a case filed against him in February after Duleimi accused him of forging a resignation letter, saying the speaker had changed the date on an older document to force him out of parliament.

Halbussi, whose Taqadom party has 37 members in parliament, has faced growing unease within Iraq´s Sunni political sphere.Halbousi said in a video statement following the ruling, “I am surprised by the issuance of these decisions. I am surprised by the lack of respect for the Constitution.”

He said that in his five years as speaker he had operated with integrity and “never discriminated between Sunnis and Shias.” Two Iraqi parliamentary officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the matter said the court decision cannot be appealed and the parliament will need to elect a new speaker.