On Sunday, the newly-elected Iraqi parliament held its first session in the capital Baghdad.
During the meetings, the parliament is expected to elect a speaker and two deputies. Furthermore, a new president, who will task the largest bloc of the parliament with forming the government, will be chosen by lawmakers.
The Iraqi state news agency INA reported that the session was chaired by MP Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who is the oldest member of parliament.
The first session in almost three months came after the October 10 parliamentary elections, in which Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc came first with 73 seats in the 329-member parliament.
