After months of political deadlock, Iraq's parliament convened Saturday to select top leadership posts. Before the session, Shiite lawmaker Ridha Jawad Taqi said all sides agreed on a package deal for the top spots: Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, would remain as president for a second term, with Sunni Tariq al-Hashimi and Shiite Adil Abdul-Mahdi holding the two vice-president spots.
In its first vote, lawmakers elected Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a Sunni, parliament speaker, the AP reported.
Meanwhile, Shiite MPs have endorsed compromise candidate Jawad al-Maliki for the premiership, a leading Shiite politician said. "The political body of the alliance met today and approved the candidacy of Jawad al-Maliki as the prime minister," said Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
