Iraq's Sunni Arab politicians were in disarray on Sunday after the deputy parliament speaker announced that they had failed to agree a candidate to propose for the post of parliamentary speaker. MPs from the largest Sunni bloc were preparing to put forward Iyad al-Samarrai, a senior leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, but other Sunni parties opposed their choice."Today many discussions were held among the different political entities but there were differences on the nomination of a new speaker," Deputy Speaker Khalid al-Attiya told Parliament. "More time to discuss the nomination has been granted but discussion should not go beyond tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
Under Iraq's complex political arrangements, Sunni Arabs have the right to nominate the speaker, a move that should have taken place on Sunday.
Samarrai's name emerged after weeks of political wrangling over a replacement for outspoken Mahmoud Mashhadani, who quit as speaker on December 23 amid clamor from Kurdish and Shiite politicians for him to go. "Iyad al-Samarrai is the candidate," a parliamentary source told AFP on condition on anonymity following a rowdy session on Saturday.
Deputy Nur Addin al-Hayali from the Iraqi Islamic Party told AFP that the candidate has the backing of most Sunnis. "He enjoys the acceptance of the political blocs and we are now moving to gain support for our candidate," Hayali insisted.
Samarrai - or whoever is finally put forward - will still need to win the backing of just over 50 percent of Iraq's 275-seat Parliament.
The delay in the nomination comes after a rift in the main Sunni Arab bloc, the National Concord Front. Last month National Dialogue Council, of which Mashhadani is a member, withdrew from the front, bitterly accusing the Iraqi Islamic Party of having plotted to sack him as speaker and promote their own candidate for the post.