Iraq Sunni bloc wants ousted parliament speaker back

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's main Sunni Arab political bloc wants ousted parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani reinstated and will boycott the next session unless other factions agree, lawmakers said on Saturday.

The Sunni Accordance Front joined a vote on June 11 to replace the outspoken Mashhadani, even though he is a member of the bloc. Mashhadani was often involved in televised shouting matches with lawmakers, and officials said at the time he was removed because of his "rude behavior".

The bloc's decision to back Mashhadani could add to tensions in parliament, at a time when legislators are under pressure from Washington to pass major laws aimed at drawing minority Sunni Arabs more firmly into the political process.

Mashhadani had been given one week's leave while the Front found a successor. He has refused to accept the vote.

The bloc had agreed to find another member to replace Mashhadani, but decided on Saturday it wanted him to remain speaker, two lawmakers from the bloc said.

"What happened to Mashhadani was not lawful. This is not in line with the constitution," said Salim al-Jubouri, a lawmaker and spokesman for the Front, which has 44 seats in the 275-member parliament.

It was unclear exactly why the Accordance Front had changed its mind, but deep divisions exist among Iraq's Shi'ite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish politicians.

The next parliamentary session is scheduled for Sunday, and Jubouri and another Front lawmaker said the bloc would not attend unless Mashhadani was in the speaker's chair.

The Front has previously said it was considering quitting the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki because it believes the concerns of Sunni Arabs are not being addressed.