 Iraq's new Parliament was set to meet again today to choose a speaker. Leaders of Iraq's Shiite majority issued an ultimatum to Sunni MPs to accept a compromise nominee for the post of Parliament speaker as MPs prepared to meet for their third session since Jan. 30 elections. The United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), which controls 146 seats in the 275-member Parliament, said it would veto Sunni MP Mishaan Al-Juburi and told Sunnis who did not like the decision to leave the assembly. "We have agreed on the nominees, and the candidate for the speakership has been endorsed by a majority of Sunnis," Jawad Al-Maliki, a senior member of the UIA, told AFP. He was referring to Hajem Al-Hassani, a compromise candidate more acceptable to Shiites, who maintains he is only interested in the post as a last resort. "If there is a minority of Sunnis that does not agree with the choice, well, they are free to withdraw from the assembly."
| "So piss off. What part about 'majority' don't you understand?" |
|