Crucial Iraqi vote delayed

The Iraqi parliament yesterday on Monday delayed a crucial vote to determine the future of British and other non-US foreign troops because of a row over the assembly speaker, a senior lawmaker said.

It was not immediately known when the vote would be held, although parliament is due to go into recess today and a United Nations mandate governing the presence of foreign troops expires on December 31.

The issue has become overshadowed by calls by MPs for speaker Mahmud Mashhadani to be sacked after he described some lawmakers as “sons of dogs” during a rowdy session of parliament last week.