Parliament holds extraordinary session this afternoon

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi parliament will hold an extraordinary session on Monday afternoon to take a decision regarding the resignation of Parliament’s Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani’s resignation after the argument with a number of parliamentarians last Wednesday, a media source said. “The parliament will hold an extraordinary session after 4:00pm to discuss the dismissal or the resignation of al-Mashhadani. MP Mohammed al-Khazaali from the Islamic Fadhila Party had said earlier that 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. 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. SH (S) 1