Iraq's parliament reconvened Tuesday as Sunni-backed lawmakers ended their boycott to protest alleged persecution of Sunni officials, a development that could restore some stability to the turbulent political processes in the war-ravaged country. The Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc had banned lawmakers and government ministers from parliament and Cabinet sessions last month after the Shiite-led government issued an arrest warrant for the Sunni Vice President Tariq Al-Hashemi on terrorism charges. The boycott brought government work to a standstill and plunged the country into a political crisis just days after the US completed its military withdrawal in December. The sectarian fight in the Shiite-led government has been accompanied by a surge in attacks that have killed more than 200 people this month. Iraqiya leaders lifted the parliament ban on Sunday, but said the bloc's nine ministers, serving in the government of the Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki will stay away from a weekly Cabinet meeting, also set for Tuesday. “We hope that this will be a good start to solve the problems in Iraq,” said Iraqiya lawmaker, Zuhair Al-Araji before the parliament session began.
