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Iraqi Parliament to Meet, Paving War for New Gov’t

Iraqi Parliament to Meet, Paving War for New Gov’t
folder_openMiddle East... access_time5 years ago
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Local Editor

Iraq's parliament is scheduled to meet next week for its first session since May elections to choose a speaker and begin the process of forming a government, the outgoing president said Monday.

The inaugural session of the 329-seat chamber would be chaired by its oldest member, President Fuad Massum said in a decree calling for the sitting to take place on September 3.

The meeting of parliament was delayed by allegations of fraud that prompted the Supreme Court to order a partial manual recount of the results of the May 12 election.

Sayyed Moqtada Sadr's alliance held on to all of the 54 seats it won and remain the biggest bloc in the parliament.

The Conquest Alliance of Hasd Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Forces] came second with 48 seats, and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's bloc was third with 42.

Next Monday's session will be devoted to electing a new speaker, a post traditionally handed to a member of Iraq's Sunni Muslim community, and two deputy speakers.

Parliamentarians will then have 30 days to elect a new president for the country, a position that goes to a member of the Kurdish minority with at least two thirds of the vote.

Kurdish parties have yet to officially announce candidates for the top but largely symbolic post of president.

The new president will then have 15 days to task the largest bloc in parliament to form a new government.

Negotiations to form such a parliamentary coalition capable of forming a new government have yet to bear fruit, as many alliances were forged but were later dissolved.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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