President, VP take up pending issues

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani on Saturday discussed with his deputy Tareq al-Hashemi in Baghdad means of handling unresolved issues, according to a presidential statement. “The two officials discussed the political process and means of resolving pending issues,” read the statement that was received by IraqiNews.com news agency. The meeting also tackled an assessment of the results of provincial council elections, the statement noted. Less than 55 days ago, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani stepped down as Parliament speaker following a heated argument with members of parliamentary committees, during which he allegedly used “offensive” language that prompted many parliamentarians to call for his resignation. Five candidates are currently running for the position of the speaker. SS (P) 1