Samarrai elected Iraqi speaker

BAGHDAD, April 19 (UPI) -- Sunni political leader Iyad Samarrai was elected speaker of Iraq's Parliament Sunday, ending months of legislative stalemate.

Samarrai, an engineer by profession who is a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party, replaces Mahmoud Mashadani, who resigned in December. His selection is viewed by some as a setback for Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, who had won the recent elections handily, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"This is a strong challenge to the prime minister because he didn't want this party to take the office," said Izzat Shahbandar, a lawmaker with the Iraqi National List group. "It shows that the prime minister derives his power from the people, not from Parliament."

Samarrai had a difficult time securing the necessary votes since Mashadani's resignation because of concerns the Iraqi Islamic Party would seek to oust the prime minister, the Times said. But Samarrai won election 153-79 after Maliki was assured the party would not go after him.

"Parliament will check the government, not topple the government, because lately the Parliament had become a tool in the hands of the government," said Samarrai, 63.

He said lawmakers "should in no way be subjected to political motives, or used to make gains by any political bloc."