Iraq parliament postpones critical session to mid September

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The  parliament in Iraq has postponed the second session of its budding chamber to mid September, Iraqi media reported quoting members as political groups compete to claim securing a majority.

Alsumaria News quoted parliament sources saying the session was adjourned to September 15th. State TV had earlier reported a postponement to 17th.

Iraq held the first session for its 329-seat parliament on Monday, having held  judicially-challenged polls in May. Political alliances led by incumbent premier Haider al-Abadi and Vice President Nuri al-Maliki have exchanged announcements that each had secured the largest parliament bloc able to form the next government, but observers say that Kurdish representatives, who had won 47 seats, will be decisive for declaring the biggest bloc. The election winners are currently divided on whether to calculate dissident members of competing blocs who had already signed for enlistment or to count them as part of their new alliances.

Parliamentarians have, therefore, failed to elect a new speaker for the chamber, with calls being made to resort to the Federal Court to determine the biggest bloc.