Iraq's Newly Elected Parliament Holds First Session

Iraq's ⁠newly elected parliament convened on Monday for its first session since ‍the November national ‍election, opening the way for ⁠lawmakers to begin the process of forming a ​new government.

Parliament is due to elect a ‍speaker and two deputies during its ⁠first meeting. Lawmakers must then choose a new president by within ⁠30 ​days of ⁠the first session.

The president ‍will subsequently ask the ‌largest bloc in parliament to form a government, ⁠a ​process ‍that in Iraq typically drags on for ‍months.