COR begins its 4th electoral cycle

The Iraqi Council of Representatives began on Monday September 3, 2018 its fourth electoral cycle in the presence of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the former Speaker of the Council of Representatives and the President of the Federal Court Midhat Al Mahmoud in the Great Hall of the Council.
The session was opened with the national anthem, performed by the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra and reciting verses and Surat al-Fatiha from the Holy Quran, in honor of the souls of the martyrs of Iraq.
The session was attended by the Vice-presidents Nuri al-Maliki and Osama al-Nujaifi1, Ministers, Mr. Jan Kubiš, UN Special Envoy to Iraq and a considerable number of Arab and foreign ambassadors accredited in Baghdad.
In his speech delivered at the session, Mr. Masoum welcomed the attending ladies and gentlemen and remarked that the meeting represented a historic moment as it coincided with the first anniversary of the victory over terrorism.
Mr. Masum remarked Iraq regained its regional and international place or role, outlining the need to form a government that will serve public demands and to review the political and security institutions so that to cater to the demands of the public.
He emphasized the need to create sustainable employment opportunities for the unemployed, avoid relying on oil alone as the main source of national income, learn from the experiences of other countries, and to fight corruption in all its forms.
The President of the Republic said that Iraqis today seek to build their state and work to provide the rights of citizens in the liberated areas, return the displaced, address poverty and unemployment, deepen community awareness and provide services in all fields.
For his part, Mr. Haidar al-Abadi congratulated the winning MPs for gaining the confidence of the people, calling on the new Council of Representatives to cooperate with the future government to work on finalizing priority legislations.
The Prime Minister stressed in his speech that next government will be handed a united, liberated country, with security, social stability, and basis to improve the economic conditions and meet the expectations of our people in a better life.
Al-Abadi lauded the directives of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani that encouraged young people to volunteer for the liberation of the land. “Iraq is seeking to build regional and international relations based on sovereignty, al Abadi added.
Al-Abadi pointed out that the people of Basra will get their rights, especially with regard to water resources, calling for solving the problems and not to employ the suffering of Iraqis for political and personal interests. He pointed out that Iraq is opening doors for foreign investments to upgrade the country’s economic structure.
In turn, Dr. Saleem al-Jubouri, former Speaker of the Council of Representatives, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the MPs in the third electoral session for their great efforts to serve Iraq.
Dr. al-Jubouri argued that previous parliament had owned up to its constitutional powers through the monitoring and legislative actions.
Al-Jubouri said that Iraq is going through a critical stage that requires subordination of personal desires and interests to the public good. Al-Jubouri apologized to the Iraqi public for the government’s inability to provide public services and for the slow pace of reconstruction, hoping that the new Council will assume its historic responsibilities and abide by the constitution and maintain the unity and sovereignty of Iraq and work on continuing dialogue between political leaders to reach the best results at various levels, recalling at the same time the martyrs of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Al-Jubouri then directed the winning MPs to go to the Session Hall for the purpose of being sworn in.
Media Directorate
Iraqi Council of Representatives
3/9/2018