Lawmakers from Iraq's largest bloc resign amid political stalemate

Iraqi lawmakers of the Sadrist bloc, the largest in parliament, have resigned amid an ongoing political stalemate over forming a new government.
Parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi tweeted on Sunday evening that he "reluctantly accepted" their resignation.
A bloc affiliated with the influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gained 74 seats in the 329-strong parliament in the October polls.
"The resignation is a sacrifice for the nation and the people," the populist cleric said in a statement.
The consequences of the resignation remain unclear.
While the Sadrist bloc increased its seats compared to the previous parliament, pro-Iranian groups suffered significant losses.
Since then, the political blocs failed to agree on candidates for the positions of the country's president or the prime minister.
By custom, Iraq's parliamentary speaker is a Sunni, the prime minister is a Shiite and the president a Kurd.
Many Iraqis have little faith in political players as the oil-rich Iraq has been struggling with economic and political crises for years.