Iraq's parliament re-elects President Talabani

After months of political deadlock, Iraq's parliament convened Saturday and filled top leadership posts, starting the process of putting together a new government aimed at pulling the country out of insurgency and sectarian strife.

President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, was elected to a second term, and the post of parliament speaker went to Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a Sunni Arab. Al-Mashhadani's two deputies were to be Khalid al-Attiyah, a Shiite, and Aref Tayfour, a Kurd.

Talabani then named Shiite politician Jawad al-Maliki prime minister-designate after his Shiite coalition nominated him Friday, breaking a deadlock that held up formation of the new government for months.

Suspected insurgents, meanwhile, set off two bombs in a public market in northern Iraq, killing at least two Iraqis and wounding 17. The second blast was timed to hit emergency crews arriving at the scene.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060422/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq