BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s parliament has postponed by one day a vote for a new president. The parliament speaker says the delay is in response to a request from the Kurdish political bloc.
With President Jalal Talabani’s (jahl-LAHL’ tahl-ah-BAH’-neez) term set to expire, the vote for his successor is part of broader negotiations over forming a new government. A Shiite lawmaker says at least 95 candidates are running.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State group is claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing in Baghdad last night that killed 31 people, mostly civilians. More than 50 others were wounded.
The attack took place at a checkpoint where worshippers awaited security checks before visiting a revered Shiite shrine during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
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APPHOTO XKK106: Shiite lawmaker Adnan al-Shehmani speaks to the media in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Iraq’s political parties have agreed to assign the position of president to a Kurd, prime minister to a Shiite and speaker of parliament to a Sunni. The next president will task someone with forming a new government, and whoever can assemble a majority coalition will become the next prime minister. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) (23 Jul 2014)
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