SIIC chief, al-Attiya mull parliament’s speaker, 2009 budget

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Head of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, Abdulaziz al-Hakim, received First Deputy Speaker Sheikh Khaled al-Attiya at his office in Baghdad on Tuesday and discussed with him electing the new speaker and the 2009 budget. “The meeting tackled also the latest political developments in Iraq,” the SIIC said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Iraq’s 2009 federal budget, totaling $62 billion U.S. dollars, has not been approved thus far. The budget is based on an oil price of $50 a barrel. SH (P) 1