ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Iraqi parliament has voted to elect the first and second deputies to its new speaker Haibat al-Halbousi, with Sadiqoun's Adnan Fayhan being named first deputy, and the opposition National Stance Movement's (Halwest) Rebwar Karim securing the second deputy position.

Polling for the first and second deputies started after the parliament's speaker was determined in a vote earlier in the day. The first deputy position saw the Sadiqoun bloc's Fayhan run against incumbent deputy speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi, besting the latter by 178 votes to 107. 

The second deputy speaker, traditionally reserved for Kurds, was contested between Halwest's Rebwar Karim and the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) Shakhawan Abdullah, who last held the post. The Halwest candidate managed to snatch a majority in a second rounds of voting after midnight, having previously failed to secure an absolute majority in the first round, which ended with 154 to 117 votes in his favor.

Iraqi state media late Monday reported that “intense dialogue” took place between Kurdish forces in the Iraqi parliament before the second round of voting took place. 

Karim's victory represents a shocking deviation from expectations, as Abdullah, the former second deputy speaker, was deemed a heavy favorite to retain his position prior to the vote.

Within 30 days of the first session, the parliament must also elect a president for the country, which is reserved for Kurds, who would in turn name a prime minister-designate, selected by the largest parliamentary bloc, and task them with the formation of the Council of Ministers within fifteen days.

The prime minister-designate would need to be replaced by the president if the cabinet fails to be formed in a timely manner.