Baghdad: First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mohsen Al-Mandlawi, confirmed that Tuesday’s parliamentary session was legally and procedurally valid, despite the disputes and controversy surrounding it.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, in an official letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Al-Mandlawi stated that the delay of over three hours in convening the session does not affect its legality, since the legal quorum was met with 169 members in attendance. He pointed out that the session (No. 4) and its proceedings were conducted in accordance with Articles 23 and 24 of the Parliament’s internal rules of procedure.

He added that determining the validity or invalidity of the session falls under the jurisdiction of the judiciary, hinting at a possible legal dispute over the session’s outcomes.

The session was marked by heated arguments and physical altercations after Al-Mandlawi initiated it. It was later annulled on the grounds of lacking quorum. In contrast, Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani declared the session invalid, stating that ‘what is built on falsehood is false.’

It is worth noting that during the session, Parliament voted on the appointment of the President and members of the Federal Service Council, as well as the President of the State Council.