Iraq’s new parliament holds 1st session marked by disarray

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s new parliament has held its first session, nearly three months after Iraqis voted in a general election whose results have been contested by powerful Iran-backed factions. In a reflection of the tensions, the meeting was marked by disarray with the eldest member of Parliament who was leading the session apparently suffering a collapse. The meeting ushers in what is likely to be a lengthy period of political wrangling among rival groups to choose a new president and prime minister. As leader of the biggest bloc, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr — a maverick leader remembered for leading an insurgency against U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion — has the upper hand in choosing the new prime minister. But he will have to manage tensions with rival Shiite groups.