309
Announced attendance of 329 seats20
Absence (derived)Session Items
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First: Taking of the constitutional oath by the members of the Council of RepresentativesExecuted
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Second: Election of the Speaker of the Council of Representatives and his two deputiesExecuted
Session Report
On December 29, 2025, the Council of Representatives held its first session of the first legislative term, within the first legislative year of the sixth electoral cycle. The session was presided over by MP Amer al-Fayez, the Acting Speaker (the eldest member), with 309 deputies in attendance. The session included the following:
Opening: The session commenced with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur'an.
Constitutional Reference: MP al-Fayez referred to Article (55) of the Constitution, which mandates the election of the Speaker and his two deputies during the first session, emphasizing the necessity of adhering to constitutional timelines.
Constitutional Oath: The Members of Parliament took the constitutional oath for the sixth cycle in both Arabic and Kurdish. Al-Fayez stressed the importance of fulfilling their constitutional duties and performing their oversight and legislative roles.
Speaker Nominations: Nominations for the Speakership were opened. MPs Amer Abdul-Jabbar, Salem Matar al-Issawi, and Haibat al-Halbousi ran for the position, while MP Muthanna Abdul-Samad announced his withdrawal.
Speaker Election Results: MP Haibat al-Halbousi was elected Speaker after receiving 208 votes out of 309. MP Salem al-Issawi received 66 votes, and MP Amer Abdul-Jabbar received 9 votes, with 26 invalid ballots.
First Deputy Election: In the race for First Deputy Speaker between MPs Adnan Faihan and Mohsen al-Mandalawi, MP Faihan won the position with 177 votes, compared to 107 votes for MP Mohsen al-Mandalawi, with 22 invalid ballots.
Deputy Speaker Election (Round 1): In the first round for the position of Deputy Speaker, MP Ribwar Karim received 153 votes and MP Shakhwan Abdullah received 119 votes, with 21 invalid ballots. Since no candidate secured the required majority, a second round was held.
Deputy Speaker Election (Round 2): The second round remained inconclusive; MP Ribwar Karim received 156 votes against 102 votes for MP Shakhwan Abdullah, with 22 invalid ballots.
Adjournment: Acting Speaker Amer al-Fayez announced the postponement of the election for the Deputy Speaker position pending further deliberations.
Resumed Sessions
Resumed Session #1
The Council of Representatives held on (30/12/2025) its first resumed session of the first legislative term of the first legislative year of the sixth electoral cycle, chaired by Dr. Amer Al-Fayez, the oldest member, with (309) MPs in attendance. The session included:
_ MP Al-Fayez, chairing the session, announced receiving a request from MP Shakhawan Abdullah withdrawing his candidacy for the post of Deputy Speaker, affirming the Council's keenness to proceed with completing the constitutional entitlements.
_ The Kurdistan Democratic Party's parliamentary bloc nominated MP Farhad Al-Atrushi to replace Dr. Shakhawan Abdullah, after the Council voted to approve reopening the nomination.
_ Voting on Dr. Farhad Amin Al-Atrushi as Deputy Speaker, after the voting results showed he obtained (178) votes out of a total of (294) voting MPs, while MP Rebwar Karim obtained (104) votes, with (12) invalid ballots.
_ Speaker Haibat Al-Halbousi congratulated the MPs on winning the Iraqi people's confidence, and congratulated the two Deputy Speakers on winning the confidence of the Council's members, announcing the start of the sixth electoral cycle and expressing his thanks to the presiding elder for his role in managing the first session to elect the Council's presidency within the constitutional deadlines.
_ Speaker Haibat Al-Halbousi announced the opening of nominations for the post of President of the Republic for 3 days, calling on the representative of the largest parliamentary bloc to formally submit the letter declaring the largest bloc.
_ MP Yousif Al-Kalabi, representing the Coordination Framework bloc, handed the largest parliamentary bloc's letter to the Speaker of the Council of Representatives.
The session was then adjourned until 5 January 2026