Baghdad: Speaker of Parliament, Haibat al-Halbousi, announced that he will host several officials next week.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Parliament’s Media Office stated in a press release: “Parliament held its second session of the sixth electoral term of the first legislative year, first legislative chapter, chaired by Haibat al-Halbousi and attended by 229 members.”

The statement added that “the Speaker emphasized the importance of adhering to the provisions of the Parliament’s internal regulations, as they are in effect and were voted on in the previous session.”

Al-Halbousi stressed “the importance of expediting the formation of parliamentary committees and giving parliamentary blocs a seven-day deadline to submit their proposals to the Speaker’s office regarding a plan for distributing members among the parliamentary committees according to the Parliament’s internal regulations. He also emphasized the importance of activating the Parliamentary Conduct Committee to maintain Iraq’s and the Parliament’s oversight and legislative standing.”

The Speaker of Parliament noted that “the session time has been permanently set for 11:00 AM, in agreement with the heads of the parliamentary blocs, in addition to implementing other regulations and instructions that enhance the management of the legislative institution.”

The statement continued, “The session witnessed discussions among members of Parliament regarding the organizational procedures followed in managing its sessions and parliamentary committees to address some previous obstacles and strengthen the role of the House of Representatives in oversight and legislation, in addition to emphasizing the priority of enacting important laws.”

Regarding nominations for the presidency, the Speaker noted that “44 applications have been received so far, and the extension was due to the New Year holiday,” explaining that “the nomination period closes today, Monday, at the end of the official workday.”

Al-Halbousi stated that “the House of Representatives will host officials from the Federal Board of Supreme Audit, the Integrity Commission, the Federal Civil Service Council, the provincial councils, the Central Bank, the head of the Martyrs Foundation, and the head of the Pension Authority next week.”