BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Speaker of the Iraqi parliament Osama al-Nujaifi called on Sunday for holding an extraordinary session on Sunday to discuss the current political standoff in the country.
The speaker urged parliamentarians to attend the session and exercise their role in dealing with this crisis.
The parliament has adjourned its session on Dec.
26 until Jan.
8  due to the lack of quorum.
Tens of thousands of Sunni Muslims blocked Iraq's main trade route to neighbouring Syria and Jordan in a protest against Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The massive show of force marks an escalation in protests that erupted last week after troops detained the bodyguards of Sunni Finance Minister Rafi' al-Isawi, threatening to plunge Iraq deeper into political turmoil.

SH (TP)