Iraqi Parliament Holds Session on Ethics and Conduct

by Jamie Tarabay, NPR

Iraq's new parliament holds a brief meeting in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone, just the second session for the legislature. The parliament focused on drafting internal codes of conduct and procedure, delaying discussions on possible constitutional amendments until after a government is formed.

Representatives expressed confidence that Prime Minister-designate Nouri al-Maliki would form his government before the May 22 deadline. The last part of Wednesday's session was closed to the public as the lawmakers discussed their salaries.

Meanwhile, violence in Iraq continued. In Fallujah, a suicide bomber killed at least 16 men waiting in line to join the local police force. Police found the bodies of three recent army graduates from Fallujah, dumped on the roadside west of their hometown. And in Baghdad, police discovered the bodies of 16 men, an electricity ministry official was gunned down, and a roadside bomb exploded in an outdoor market in northern Baghdad, wounding 16 civilians.

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, May 3, 2006