Iraq’s top Shia cleric chastised Parliament on Friday for failing to unite in the face of a jehadis-led blitz that threatens to break up the country, and urged lawmakers to quickly form a Government.
A top Sunni leader backed away from his bid to become speaker of Parliament when it reconvenes next week, a move that could break the deadlock after a farcical opening session that dampened hopes Iraq’s fractious politicians could close ranks in a time of crisis.
And in a rare piece of good news in the weeks since jihadist-led militants overran swathes of territory, 46 Indian nurses caught up in the conflict were freed and headed home. With Parliament next due to meet Tuesday, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani criticised lawmakers for failing to pick a speaker at this week’s opening session, which saw MPs trade threats before walking out.
“The failure to elect a head of parliament and their deputies before it adjourned was a regrettable failure,” Sistani’s spokesman Ahmed al-Safi said during a Friday prayer sermon in Karbala.