Iraq's first postwar elected parliament met on Wednesday, more than six weeks after the January 30 vote, but no decision was taken on a government as Shia and Kurdish blocs continue to try to resolve differences.

Tuesday’s round of Shia-Kurd talks failed to reach a last-minute accord, but most observers had thought it unlikely that a deal would be worked out to elect a three-member "presidential council", the first step towards forming a cabinet.