BAGHDAD, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's 275-seat parliament convened on Wednesday under tight security measures in and around the heavily-fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad. The parliament is scheduled to choose a committee to draft the assembly¡¯s internal regulations.

    The legislature is also expected to form another committee charged with reviewing Iraq's constitution, which was passed in a national referendum last October.

    Parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani announced the beginning of the session with the attendance of his two deputies--Shiekh Khalidal-Attiya and Arif Tayfor.

    Mashhadani said that 154 of the 275 members were present for Wednesday¡¯s session.

    During the previous session on April 22, the parliament elected the speaker, two deputies and the three-member presidential council.

    Security measures were beefed up with massive Iraqi security forces deployed around the Green Zone, which houses the Iraqi government and the U.S. embassy.

    Many checkpoints were set up in the streets leading to and in the Green Zone as hundreds of security forces vehicles were patrolling around. Enditem