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IRAQ’S parliament has sworn in 73 new lawmakers to replace those MPs loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that resigned earlier this month.
The new parliamentarians, who took up their posts on Thursday, have strengthened the Iranian-backed Shia factions in the Iraqi assembly.
It is the first time that supporters of Mr Sadr have been out of parliament since 2005 after his bloc, which held the most seats after the October election failed to cobble together a coalition.
The 73 lawmakers quit earlier this month to try to break an eight-month political deadlock that has stymied progress.
Under Iraqi law if a parliamentary seat becomes vacant, the candidate with the second-highest number of votes replaces them.
Muhammad Saadoun Sayhod, from the Rule of Law coalition which is part of the Co-ordination Framework bloc said that he now expects a new government to be formed.
“We will now start the process of electing the president and naming the prime minister from the Co-ordination Framework,” he said.
Mr Sadr has not yet responded to Thursday’s developments amid growing speculation that his supporters will take to the streets throwing Iraq into further turmoil.
