First Session of Newly Elected Iraqi Parliament Starts in Baghdad - Reports
The first session of the Iraq's newly-elected unicameral parliament, the Council of Representatives, started in the country's capital of Baghdad on Monday and was broadcast live by state television.
CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd September, 2018) The first session of the Iraq's newly-elected unicameral parliament, the Council of Representatives, started in the country's capital of Baghdad on Monday and was broadcast live by state television.
During their first session, 329 lawmakers will elect the parliamentary speaker and their two deputies. The parliamentarians will later elect a new president, who will then task the majority bloc to form a government.
Earlier on Monday, 16 Iraqi political blocs, including those of Prime Minister Haider Abadi and Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr, formed the 177-seat majority coalition, which will be capable of forming the new government.
On May 12, the first parliamentary election since the defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) was held in the country. Since the parliament voted in favor of a manual recount of the ballots due to multiple reports on violations, the results of the election were ratified by the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq on August 19.