Rift Deepens Between Maliki and Iraqi Speaker
The tensions between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iraqi parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi signal a deepening of sectarian and political divisions, writes Ali Abel Sadah.
Following an attempt by Iraqi parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi to restore the dismissed head of the Justice and Accountability Committee to his post, in a clear challenge to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Maliki’s supporters are seeking to oust Nujaifi.
Nujaifi recently ordered that Falah Shanshal resume his position as the head of the Justice and Accountability Committee, a day after his dismissal by Maliki.
Al-Monitor was able to secure a copy of an official press statement titled “Directive” in which Nujaifi stated that the “election of Shanshal and his deputy Bakhtiar Omar by the members of the Justice and Accountability Committee was legal. The committee is exclusively associated with the parliament.”
Maliki and Nujaifi have been fighting over the power to supervise independent committees including the Judicial Council, the Justice and Accountability Committee, the Electoral Committee and the Human Rights Committee.
