Iraqi parliament swears in new members to replace Sadrists

IRAQ: Iraq’s parliament swore in new lawmakers on Thursday to replace 73 members of a bloc led by Moqtada al-Sadr after the powerful Shi‘i’te Muslim cleric asked them to step down amid a prolonged stalemate over forming a government.
The influx of new lawmakers is likely to strengthen the position of Sadr‘s Iran-backed rivals in parliament.