Coordination Framework has petitioned parliament to convene after Arbaeen, says MP

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Coordination Framework has requested the Iraqi parliament to convene following the Arabeen pilgrimage, an MP of the pro-Iran Shiite faction told Rudaw on Thursday, over a month after the legislature suspended its sessions.

The Iraqi parliament held its last parliamentary session on June 23, and suspended its work on July 30 after supporters of powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the parliament building, asking for the dissolution of the current legislature and holding of new snap election.

“On September 12, we filed a petition to the Iraqi parliament presidency, asking for the parliament to meet after the conclusion of the Arbaeen pilgrimage,” Arif al-Hamami, a Coordination Framework MP told Rudaw’s Hastyar Qadir on Thursday, adding that the purpose of the session is to activate the legislature.

Millions of Shiite followers from around the world annually embark upon a journey towards Iraq’s holy city of Karbala, to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage, a Shiite ritual marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the death of the Shiite leader and grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein, in 680 AD.

The ceremonies will be concluded on Saturday.

Gharib al-Muradli, another Coordination Framework MP, told Rudaw that a total of 183 MPs have signed the petition, which also includes Kurds, Sunnis, and Turkmen.

Iraq continues to be shrouded in uncertainty and political instability triggered by the current parliament’s failure to form the country’s next government due to political disagreements, almost a year after the early elections in October.

Under Iraq’s constitution, the dissolution of the parliament can only be done through an absolute majority of its members, or upon the request of one-third of its members.