Iraqi parliament agree to allow troops to remain
Speaker in Iraqi parliament resigns, reports claim
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Tuesday, 23, Dec 2008 04:27
The speaker in the Iraqi parliament has resigned allowing lawmakers to agree to let non-US forces remain in the country after the end of the year.
Disagreements in the country's parliament had delayed a vote on whether the forces could remain after the current United Nations mandate runs out on December 31st.
A vote on the important issue was due to take place on Monday but had to be postponed as a row involving the speaker, Mahmoud Mashhadani, continued.
The Associated Press news agency reports that Shia and Kurdish lawmakers were calling on him to step down after he failed to deal with an argument over the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US president George Bush on a recent visit to the country.
Following the speaker's resignation, the parliament passed a measure allowing troops to remain in Iraq on Tuesday.
"This project got a majority of votes. We authorise the government to take all necessary steps regarding foreign forces other than US forces," Reuters news agency quotes deputy parliamentary speaker Khalid al-Attiya as saying.
As a result, the troops would be allowed to remain in the country until the end of July 2009, he added.