Parliament in Iraq Finally Chooses New Speaker

By Jeremy Shaub

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/middleeast/20iraq.html?ref=world

On Sunday, Iraq chose a new speaker after many months of infighting. Ayad al-Sammaraie was a Sunni Arab lawmaker who headed the Parliament Finance Committee is the new speaker elected. Sammaraie was a outspoken critic of Mr. Maliki, who's party cast blank ballots instead of voting for Sammaraie or a challenger, said he would cooperate with Mr. Maliki's government. This position though has been vacant since the resignation of Mahmoud al-Mashhadani in late December. Sammaraie though was one of the leading candidates to be chosen as speaker but in February he fell two short of the required 138 out of 275 member body, but Sunday he received 153 votes and the runner up had only 36. About 83 members from Mr. Maliki's party either did not vote or casted a blank ballot too. During the voting Mr. Maliki said how factions with in Iraq would threaten national unity. After the voting, a member of Mr. Maliki's party did not comment on Sammaraie winning, but a lawmaker stated that he is willing to cooperate with Sammaraie.