Baghdad, Jul 21, (VOI) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urged parliament to cancel or shorten the summer recess so as to help the government solving some pending issues, including the filling of vacant ministerial portfolios.

"The political process has to proceed forward and the government has to work with parliament for the progress of the Iraqi people in these tough circumstances," according to a cabinet statement after Maliki met U.S. ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker and U.S. National Security Council senior director for Iraq and the Middle East Megan O'Sullivan. The statement was received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The Iraqi premier said there were several draft laws not referred yet for debate inside parliament because the quorum was not observed, the statement added.

The Iraqi parliament had decided to extend its work for a month, to end late July, so as to vote on about 50 important draft laws, like the constitution amendment committee and oil.

Some ministerial portfolios within the Iraqi government became vacant after the Sadrists, or Iraqis loyal to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, withdrew in protest against the government's failure to come up with a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.