Iraqi parliament convenes first meeting

The Iraqi national parliament today holds its first sessions in the Green Zone in Baghdad amid tough security measures.

The measures include the closure of the two bridges of al-Sank and al-Joumhoreyah which lead to the conferences palace where the session is being held. Hundreds of police men and the army were deployed in the areas surrounding the palace.

It is presumed that the parliament will choose in its first session a speaker, and vote for the Presidential council which is composed of the head of state and two deputies. The parliament needs to get two thirds of the votes of the 275 parliamentarians.

Two weeks after its election, the presidential council will be eligible to choose a prime minister collectively as well as the ministers after consulting the prime minister. In case that the presidential council does not reach an agreement, the parliament will choose a prime minister with a majority of two thirds. Should the prime minister fails because his government could not win the confidence of the parliament, the Presidential Council will choose a new prime minister.

The National Assembly (parliament) should formulate a permanent constitution with the fall of August and organize a referendum for approving it before October 15 this year. The constitution should win the majority of the votes but under the condition it should not be rejected by 3 governorates out of 15 and with a two thirds majority. In case the constitution is approved, general elections should be held in a date not to exceed December 15, and the government will be formed by the fall of December 31st.