Iraq Elects Parliament Speaker in Step to Break Deadlock

Local Editor

Iraqi lawmakers elected Salim Jabouri as parliament speaker in the first step to break the country's political deadlock, as the army began a second operation to try to retake control of the northern city of Tikrit from militants on Tuesday.

Jabouri, who was the head of the human rights committee in the previous parliament, was elected speaker with 194 votes out of 273.

A second candidate, Shorooq al-Abayachi, received 19 votes. There were 60 abstentions.

The Parliament had tried twice before to elect a speaker, whereas Tuesday's decision represented something of a breakthrough since it starts the clock for setting up the entire government.

"We have made a great achievement," said Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, a lawmaker allied with the Supreme Islamic Council Party.

"Today's step demonstrates the country's democracy and national unity," said lawmaker Abbas al-Bayati, adding that, "We have now a legislative body that can do its job in building democracy."

The Parliament had tried twice before to elect a speaker, whereas Tuesday's decision represented something of a breakthrough since it starts the clock for setting up the entire government.
Lawmakers are also expected to elect two deputy speakers.

Moreover, it is still not clear whether lawmakers have reached an agreement on candidates for the premier, the most critical position.

According to rules set after the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq's leadership must incorporate all three of the country's major demographic groups.

Meanwhile, Iraqi army forces launched an attack to retake the northern city of Tikrit, the second operation since militants took over several cities across the country last month in June.

Security forces  have succeeded in retaking government facilities in the city's south.

Army officials said military forces began their operation from the northern and southern entrances of the city and are trying to move towards the provincial council in the center of Tikrit.

The forces are backed by tanks, helicopters and artillery as they try to seize control of the city from militants of the terrorist organization, the so-called "Islamic State."

A major operation to retake control of Tikrit, 140 kilometers north-west of Baghdad, has been going on for the past two weeks, as militants seized Tikrit on June 11 as part of an armed groups' offensive that has overrun large areas of five provinces since June.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team