28 August 2018•Update: 28 August 2018
By Ali Jawad and Aref Youssef
BAGHDAD
Brett McGurk, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for the fight against Daesh, met with Iraqi leaders on Tuesday with a view to expediting the formation of Iraq’s next government.
The talks come one week before parliament holds its first session on Sept. 3, during which a new assembly speaker -- along with two deputies -- will be chosen.
According to an Iraqi Foreign Ministry source, McGurk's visit is aimed at convincing Iraqi political parties and groups to “expedite the process of drawing up a new government”.
The source, who spoke anonymously due to restrictions on speaking to media, could not say how long McGurk planned to stay in Iraq.
Earlier Tuesday, McGurk met with Iraqi Vice-President Osama al-Nujaifi, a possible candidate for the post of parliamentary speaker.
In a subsequent statement, al-Nujaifi’s office said that the meeting -- which was also attended by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman -- had tackled “the latest political developments and ongoing talks aimed at forging a majority bloc in parliament”.
According to the statement, al-Nujaifi had also stressed the importance of implementing a viable government program and providing the public with adequate services.
On Monday, government officials announced that Iraq’s recently-elected parliament would convene its first session on Sept. 3.
According to Iraq’s constitution, the assembly will then have 30 days to elect -- by a two-thirds majority -- the country’s next president.
The new president will then task the largest bloc in parliament with drawing up a government, which then must be referred back to parliament for approval.
