Iraqi parliament to hold its opening session on January 9

On 30 December, some three months after the general elections on 10 October, Iraqi President Barham Salih signed a decree.

According to the Iraqi Constitution, the President must call the parliament, which must be presided over by the oldest of the 239 members.

“I signed the presidential decree convening the new parliament on January 9, 2022,” Barham Salih posted on Twitter.

The Shiite Muktada Sadr movement, which won the elections, will have the largest group in parliament, with 73 members.

The pro-Iran Hashd al-Shaabi political group suffered a severe setback in the elections, with the number of seats reduced from 48 to 17. They can, however, fortify their position by alliances. Former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, one of Hashd al-Shaabi’s partners, made an important debut with 33 seats.

The President must be elected within 30 days of the parliament’s convening. The President will then appoint the prime minister, who will be elected in parliament by the grand coalition. Within 30 days, the prime minister is expected to create a new administration. Many experts and politicians are expecting that a new administration will be established by March.