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Iraq parliament adjourns without choosing top posts

Iran Press TV

Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:59PM GMT

Iraq's newly elected parliament has once again failed to take the first steps toward forming a new government.

Iraqi lawmakers convened on Sunday to pick the next prime minister, president and parliament speaker. The legislative body, which is under pressure to quickly choose candidates for the nation's three top posts, ended its second session after just 30 minutes without making any progress.

Acting parliament speaker Mahdi al-Hafidh adjourned the meeting because there was no agreement on the names of the nominees for the three posts.

'The session is adjourned till Tuesday at 11 a.m.,' Hafidh told lawmakers.

Iraqi lawmakers have been urged by top religious and political figures to put aside their differences and form a new government in the face of threats by the ISIL Takfiris.

'Till now, there was no consensus on the names of the candidates, and we will have two days for more discussions,' Hafidh said, adding, 'The situation does not bear any delay, so I urge all the blocs to take the responsibility and to show flexibility.'

The three individuals selected from among Sunni, Shia and Kurdish candidates are expected to form a unity government.

The Iraqi parliament was initially set to hold its first session on July 1, but political differences among the MPs pushed it to July 8, and then to July 13.

The crisis in Iraq escalated after Takfiri ISIL terrorists took control of Mosul, in a lightning advance on June 10, which was followed by the fall of Tikrit, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of the capital Baghdad.

An estimated 1.2 million people have been displaced in Iraq so far this year, according to the United Nations.

The ISIL has vowed to continue its raid towards Baghdad. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said that the country's security forces would confront the terrorists.

Soldiers of the Iraqi army have been engaged in heavy fighting with the militants on different fronts and have so far been able to push back militants in several areas.

IA/MAM/AS