The Iraqi Shia political alliance, known as the Coordination Framework, held a regular meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and prominent Shia leaders in attendance. The coalition discussed pressing political issues, particularly the ongoing vacancy in the position of parliament speaker.

In a statement released after the meeting, the alliance urged members of the House of Representatives to convene on Saturday to vote on the new speaker and put an end to the prolonged vacancy. The position has been empty since November 2023, when former speaker Mohammed Halbusi was removed, and efforts to elect a replacement have been delayed by internal disagreements.

Shia lawmaker Ahmed Salal Badri from the Rule of Law Coalition highlighted the urgency of electing a new speaker, noting that several critical laws and bills require approval from the speaker's office. "The election of a new speaker should be conducted as soon as possible," he stressed.

Badri also confirmed that Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a Sunni political figure, has been agreed upon by the Coordination Framework to take over the role. "There is complete consensus on this," he added.

Last week, the coalition announced that all political forces within the alliance had united in support of al-Mashhadani’s candidacy. The coalition leaders also agreed on a date for parliament to hold a session to elect the new speaker.

Key members of the Coordination Framework include Nouri al-Maliki of the State of Law Coalition, Hadi Amiri of the Fatah Alliance, Ammar al-Hakim of the National Wisdom Movement, Qais al-Khazali of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Haider Abadi of the Victory Alliance, and Faleh al-Fayyad, head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

The lack of a speaker has created a legislative bottleneck in Iraq, with several important laws awaiting approval. The upcoming parliamentary session is expected to resolve the issue and restore the legislative body's full functionality.