Iraq Parliament To Meet On November 8

A vote on November 8 could move the Iraqi parliament past an eight-month political standstill.

Iraq's parliament will meet on November 8 to elect a new speaker, a move that could break an eight-month political deadlock.

The announcement was made in a November 3 statement by the acting speaker of parliament, Fuad Massum.

Under Iraq's constitution, parliament must choose a speaker and two deputies, then name a president who will then name the leader of the coalition with the greatest number of seats in parliament to form a government.

Iraq has been without a permanent government since an inconclusive election in March.

The Sunni-dominated bloc of former prime minister Iyad Allawi narrowly won the election, followed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite bloc, but neither has managed to muster the majority to form a government.

compiled from agency reports