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Iraq court deals blow to PM’s cabinet reform efforts

But it also settled the issue of whether parliament speaker Salim al-Juburi retains his job -- a question that had resulted in two rival claimants to the position -- by scrapping another session at which lawmakers voted to sack him.

 The sessions were held during a chaotic month for Iraqi politics in which lawmakers failed to approve all but a handful of new ministers proposed by Abadi, angering protesters who eventually stormed parliament.

With the ruling, the court effectively turns back the Iraqi political clock to the pre-April status quo: no new ministers have been approved, and Juburi is confirmed in his position.

“The federal court decided to invalidate the parliamentary sessions of April 14 and 26,” higher judicial council spokesman Abdelsattar Bayraqdar said. The first session, at which lawmakers voted to sack Juburi, lacked the necessary quorum, with only 131 MPs present, a judicial official said.

 The second, in which lawmakers voted to accept some of Abadi’s cabinet nominees, took place in an atmosphere “inconsistent with freedom of opinion” as guards entered the session.” 
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