Iraq MPs break deadlock and elect speaker
Iraqi MPs broke their deadlock on Tuesday and elected a new speaker of parliament, taking the first formal step towards forming a new government that is widely seen as crucial to confronting rebels who have overrun much of the country.
The legislature voted on Tuesday to pick Sunni lawmaker, Salim al-Juburi, as the new speaker with 194 votes in the 328-seat parliament.
It was unclear whether al-Jubuuri's election indicated that a larger agreement had been struck among political blocs for the posts of president and prime minister.
The parliament has 30 days from the time it elected its speaker to pick a new president, and another 15 days to elect a prime minister.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/iraq-mps-break-deadlock-elect-speaker-2014715112421389478.html