Political blocs meet to settle dispute over speaker’s resignation

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Heads of parliamentary blocs are currently in a meeting that aims to settle the dispute over Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani’s resignation in light of a heated debate that erupted over the shoe-throwing incident. “Today’s session was adjourned for half an hour,” MP Mohammed al-Khazaali from the Islamic Fadhila Party told IraqiNews.com. On Wednesday, a heated debate erupted between Mashhadani and members of parliamentary committees over the issue of Iraqi Journalist Muntadhar al-Zaydi, who threw a pair of shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush at a Baghdad-based press conference last week. Mashhadani threatened to resign from the Parliament, while some blocs said they would boycott parliamentary sessions if he retained his post as speaker. SS (P) 1