Iraqi President urges new lawmakers to quickly hold first session

Iraqi President Fuad Masum on Friday called on newly elected parliament members to speedily hold their first session.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi President Fuad Masum on Friday called on newly elected parliament members to speedily hold their first session as parties continue to compete for a post-election deal that would allow them to form the next government.

The comments came during a meeting with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad, according to a statement released by the president’s press office.

Masum stressed the legal timeline for new parliament members to hold their first session in which they are to elect a new speaker and two deputies, which, according to the Iraqi constitution, is 15 days after the Federal Supreme Court ratifies election results. This occurred on Sunday, so parliament now has until Sep. 3 to convene the session.

According to the statement, Masum and Abadi also discussed the current political process in Iraq, "respecting the will of the people," reform, and resolving issues that led to recent widespread protests in several central and southern cities, namely Basra.

Over the past month, thousands poured onto Iraqi streets to demand improved public services, higher employment, and an end to massive corruption in state institutions. Protesters have also called for major reform in Iraq's political process.

On Aug. 9, Iraq’s electoral commission announced the results of a manual recount of votes, nearly a full three months after May's disputed election. There were no substantial changes in the seat numbers won by key parliamentary blocs.

According to the final results, the Sairoon coalition of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remains the winner with 54 seats out of total 329, followed by the bloc associated with Shi'a militias, al-Fatih, with 48 seats. Abadi's coalition came in third with 42 seats.

After lawmakers elect their new speaker and deputies in the first parliamentary session, they have 30 days to elect, by a two-thirds majority, Iraq's new president, who is then given 15 days to nominate the prime minister from the largest bloc in parliament.

The prime minister, in turn, will have another 30 days to form his cabinet, with ministers then referred back to parliament for individual approval. If the effort is unsuccessful, the president has yet another 15 days to nominate another prime minister to repeat the process of forming a cabinet.

Major Iraqi parties continue backroom haggling for posts, ministerial and otherwise, each hoping to play as broad a role as possible in the largest overall bloc.

Editing by John J. Catherine