Iraqi Parliament holds session on speaker

BAGHDAD, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The Iraqi Parliament in its Wednesday session made renewed efforts to elect a new speaker following failed attempts in January.

Khaled al-Attiya, the first deputy speaker, presided over sessions with lawmakers to find a replacement for Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who stepped down last year, the Voices of Iraq news agency reported.

Mashhadani stepped down Dec. 23 following a parliamentary row over the fate of non-U.S. troops in Iraq after the expiration of the U.N. mandate governing multinational forces.

He allegedly had tendered his resignation immediately following an earlier incident when Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw two shoes at visiting President George W. Bush in December.

The Iranian Press TV said Mashhadani, from the Sunni Accordance Front, was reprimanded for embarrassing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and subsequently offered to resign.

"I have no honor leading this Parliament, and I announce my resignation," Press TV quoted Mashhadani in December.

Several political parties offered candidates to fill the position vacated by Mashhadani. Independent lawmaker Wathab Shakir Wednesday offered his name for consideration, saying he would forfeit "all merits and privileges" if elected as the new speaker.

VOI said Shakir submitted his own name for consideration. Parliament suspended the vetting process in January because it could not decide on a replacement.