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Dolphins smarter than chimps
BAGHDAD, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Sunni lawmakers scheduled a Saturday meeting in Baghdad to vet candidates for the position of parliamentary speaker, officials said.
Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani resigned in December as lawmakers bickered over the legal framework for the presence of non-U.S. troops in 2009. Mashhadani, known for his quick temper, stepped down after allegedly referring to suicide bombers as "heroes," said a report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Abdul-Karim al-Samarrae with the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front said his party would nominate a candidate for the vacated speaker position Saturday. A consensus candidate will be chosen the following day.
The speaker position is reserved for Sunni lawmakers. Iraqi Vice President Jalal Talabani, a Sunni, endorsed the IAF position, saying "all sides" had agreed to a smooth nomination process for the Sunni bloc.
The Iraqi National Dialogue Council and a slate of independent lawmakers withdrew from the IAF in December, citing a failure of national obligation. Sadrist and other Shiite lawmakers voiced their opposition to an IAF candidate, saying the party was no longer influential.
The INDC put forward its own candidate in the wake of the Mashhadani resignation.
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