Iraq parliament swears in new members after walkout of 73

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s Parliament has sworn in new lawmakers, replacing 73 legislators who resigned collectively earlier this month amid a prolonged political impasse over the formation of the country’s next government. The walkout by followers of Iraq’s most influential Shiite politician, Muqtada al-Sadr, threw Iraq into further uncertainty, reshuffling the deck following the Oct. 10 elections that gave the cleric the biggest bloc in Parliament. Al-Sadr was unable to cobble together a coalition for a majority government. Thursday’s development puts al-Sadr out of parliament for the first time since 2005, and allows pro-Iranian factions to determine the makeup of the next government.