Iraqi parliament to hold first meeting Monday after elections

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi parliament is set to meet on Monday, during which the newly-elected lawmakers will be sworn in, and a new speaker will be appointed for the legislature.

The parliament said in its agenda on Saturday that the legislature will hold its first meeting since the November general elections. New 329 lawmakers will be sworn in, and a new speaker and their two deputies could be appointed if blocs reach an agreement. 

Since the 2003 US-led invasion, Iraq’s informal power-sharing system has allocated the speakership to Sunni Arabs, the premiership to Shiites, and the presidency to Kurds. Some Sunni bloc members have expressed interest in seeking the presidency in the upcoming cabinet.

Iraq held its parliamentary elections on November 11. Final results were announced in mid-November, and Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court ratified the vote results earlier this month. 

In November, leaders of Iraq’s Sunni political forces announced the formation of a “National Political Council” aimed at unifying Sunni positions during negotiations over the next government. However, they have yet to agree on an individual to lead the legislature.

Updated at 5:50 pm