BAGHDAD: Iraq new parliament broke up in chaos on Tuesday, with lawmakers walking out or making threats despite calls for the urgent formation of a government to combat a militant onslaught.
After a break called to calm soaring tempers, so many Sunni and Kurdish deputies stayed away that the quorum was lost, so a speaker could not be elected, and the session ended in disarray.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's bid for a third term has been battered by the militant-led offensive that has seized large chunks of five provinces, adding fuel to dissatisfaction over persistent allegations of sectarianism and monopolising power.
The crisis has alarmed world leaders, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and polarised Iraqi populations.
That disunity quickly manifested itself in what was the opening session of a parliament elected in April.
Kurdish lawmaker Najiba Najib interrupted efforts to select a new speaker, calling on the government to "end the blockade" and send withheld budget funds to Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.
Kadhim al-Sayadi, an MP in premier Maliki's bloc, responded by threatening to "crush the heads" of the country's autonomous Kurds, whose regional leader Massud Barzani told the BBC they would hold a referendum on independence within months.
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