Iraqi parliament to vote Thursday on new president amid divisions

FILE PHOTO: Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr speaks during news conference in Najaf, Iraq this screen grab taken from a live video August 30, 2022. REUTERS TV/via REUTERS

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament will convene this week for a session meant to elect a new president, the speaker's office said on Tuesday, but divisions which have led to a year-long political deadlock may still obstruct progress.

Lawmakers will meet on Thursday, more than a year since an Oct. 10, 2021 parliamentary election in which populist Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr emerged as the biggest winner but failed to rally enough support to form a government.