BAGHDAD, Oct 31 (KUNA) -- The Iraqi Council of Representatives elected on Thursday Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani as a replacement to former speaker Mohammad Al-Halbousi after one year of political stalemate based on a judicial verdict.
The parliament session, chaired by Acting Speaker Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, saw two rounds of voting as both frontrunners received most votes in the first round, the Iraqi news agency reported. The first round saw Al-Mashhadani winning 153 votes, against 95 for his next rival Salem Al-Eisawi and nine votes for Amer Abdul-Jabbar, besides 14 invalid votes.
The run-off led to Al-Mashhadani receiving 140 votes and Al-Eisawi 34.
In last November, the former speaker was barred from his completing his term in office after the Federal Supreme Court ruled against the legitimacy of his election. (end) ahh.gb