Iraqi parliament speaker says parliament should not convene without Kurdish lawmakers

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri said on Sunday that the parliament should not hold any sessions without the participation of Kurdish lawmakers.

Kurdish lawmakers announced a decision to suspend participation in the parliament meetings until the crisis in the country is resolved following an attack on the parliament building by angry protestors.

Jubouri’s remarks came during a joint press conference held on Sunday with his deputy Aram Sheikh Mohammed and the head of the Kurdistan Islamic Union bloc Muthana Amin in Sulaymaniyah in Kurdistan on the side-lines of an official visit he initiated on Saturday.

The Kurdish lawmakers announced on Thursday their decision not to participate in parliament sessions without a clear decision from the political leadership in the region and without a meeting with the basic five parties.

The lawmakers have also demanded guarantees that the attacks on parliament deputies by followers of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr will not be repeated.

Jubouri pointed out that “efforts are continuing with all parties to resume parliamentary sessions”, stressing that the current situation needs understanding from all stakeholders.