Iraq's new parliament has agreed to meet next week to work on forming a new government, reversing a decision to adjourn until August.
Acting speaker Mehdi al-Hafidh said in a statement July 8 that lawmakers will convene on July 13 "for the sake of the public interest and committing to the constitutional procedures and preserving the continuity of building democracy."
The original delay to August 12 had been criticized by local lawmakers and the United States.
Parliament has yet to make progress on filling its top three positions, which are split between the Shi'ite Arab, Sunni Arab, and Kurdish communities.
A parliament session last week ended in chaos.
Iraq's political crisis comes as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), now known as the Islamic State, has seized large swaths of the country.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP