Overview
- Al-Halbousi of the Taqadom Party won the speakership with 208 votes, defeating rivals who received 66 and 9, as 309 of 329 lawmakers attended the inaugural session.
- Parliament selected Babil governor Adnan Feyhan, a member of the US‑sanctioned Asaib Ahl al‑Haq, as first deputy speaker.
- The second deputy speaker race heads to a third round between KDP nominee Shakhawan Abdullah and Rebwar Karim, after tallies of 119–153 in round one and 102–156 in round two fell short of the 165 needed.
- The Federal Supreme Court’s ratification of the November 11 results formally launched the process set by the muhasasa convention that assigns the speaker to a Sunni, the presidency to a Kurd, and the premiership to a Shiite.
- Within 30 days lawmakers must elect a president who will task the largest Shiite bloc, the SCF, with naming a prime minister, a choice complicated by the SCF’s roughly 180 MPs including 80–90 linked to pro‑Iran armed factions and uncertainty over whether to stick with Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani.