Iraq's parliament will meet next week for its first session since the May elections to choose a speaker and begin the process of forming a government, the outgoing president said Monday (August 27th), AFP reported.

The inaugural session of the 329-seat chamber will be chaired by its oldest member, President Fuad Massum said in a decree calling for the sitting to take place on September 3rd.

The meeting of parliament was delayed by allegations of fraud that prompted the supreme court to order a partial manual recount of the results of the May 12th election.

Next Monday's session will be devoted to electing a new speaker, a post traditionally handed to a member of the Sunni community, and two deputy speakers.

Parliamentarians will then have 30 days to elect a new president for the country, a position that goes to a member of the Kurdish minority with at least two thirds of the vote.

Kurdish parties have yet to officially announce candidates for the top but largely symbolic post of president.

The new president will then have 15 days to task the largest bloc in parliament to form a new government.