Speaker suspends Iraq Parliament

Embattled Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Juburi Tuesday announced the suspension of Parliament sessions “until further notice” after a week of turmoil during which lawmakers brawled and sought to sack him.

The political crisis comes as Iraq battles the Islamic State jihadist group, which overran large areas in 2014, and contends with a serious economic crisis caused by low oil prices and years of mismanagement and corruption.

Some MPs voted last week to remove Mr Juburi and elected Mr Adnan al-Janabi as his interim replacement, meaning there are now two claimants to the speakership.

Mr Juburi insists the vote to sack him and his deputies was invalid because the session lacked the necessary quorum, but his opponents are seeking to move ahead with selecting replacements.

“I announce the suspension of sessions... Of the Iraqi Parliament until further notice,” Mr Juburi said in a statement.

But Mr Janabi has called for a session to be held on Thursday, so MPs may still meet without Mr Juburi’s leadership. Mr Juburi’s decision was taken to “preserve the reputation of Parliament” and prevent it from being “a place for conflict”, he said.

There has been plenty of conflict in Parliament over the past week: lawmakers held an overnight sit-in and threw punches in the chamber, as well as seeking to sack Mr Juburi.

The turmoil began with disagreement over proposed cabinet line-ups presented by PM Haider al-Abadi, but shifted to calls for Mr Juburi to go.

Mr Abadi has sought to replace the Cabinet of party-affiliated ministers with a government of technocrats, but has faced significant opposition from powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds.