The chaotic meeting ushers in what is likely to be a lengthy period of political wrangling among rival groups to choose a new president and a prime minister. As the leader of the biggest bloc, Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr has the upper hand in forming a new government. But he will have to manage tensions with rival Shia groups that continue to reject the election results and are demanding to have a say in the government formation process.
According to Iraq’s constitution, the largest bloc in parliament has the right to choose the new prime minister.
But as the meeting got under way on Sunday, a coalition known as the Shia Coordination Framework, an alliance of Shia factions which object to the vote results, submitted a list of lawmakers’ names it claimed now hold the biggest parliamentary bloc with 88 seats, rather than al-Sadr.