Iraqi parliament first meeting today

Baghdad on Wednesday witnessed intensive security measures as the parliament is preparing to convene its first sessions later today, Thursday, while differences continue among the Iraqi forces on the formation of the government.

In precaution to any attacks on the day of convening the parliament, the Iraqi authorities decided to prevent cars' use in Baghdad, and gave government employees an official work day off.

At the political level, the consensus to have a national reconciliation government is still far from fulfillment, to be made by the end of this month, March, despite the expectation of President Jalal al-Talibani who gathered leaders of the Iraqi parties in his house.

For his part, the prime minister whose term of office expired Ibrahim al-Jaafari said that one month might be enough to form the government. The leader of the Islamic party Tareq al-Hashemi expressed his hope to overcome obstacles in the near future.