Iraqi parliament delays meeting to form new government
(VOVworld) – Iraq's parliament postponed until Tuesday a meeting aimed at agreeing on the formation of a new government because of a lack of consensus among political factions.
Iraqi former Parliament speaker and the chairman of the Sunni Arab Coalition Osama al-Nujaifi, center, at a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, July 13, 2014. |
Acting parliamentary speaker Mahdi al-Hafidh said at a Sunday meeting that 233 out of the 328 lawmakers who attended the session failed to elect the head of the legislature and two deputy speakers. According to Iraq’s constitution, a new president must be chosen within the next 30 days after the election of parliamentary leaders. Then the new president will have 15 days to ask parliament to appoint a prime minister.