Iraq’s Supreme Court shocked the country’s political scene with a 14 November decision to end the term of Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. Mr Halbousi heads the Takadom bloc which has 39 seats. In a departure from custom, no detailed document of the ruling was provided.

Instead, the court published a video explaining that Mr Halbousi’s tenure was terminated on the basis that he had forged a former Takadom party member’s resignation from parliament. Mr Halbousi denies accusations of forcing his party’s MPs to sign “undated” resignation letters as a tool of political extortion. (CONTINUED - 389 WORDS)