Baghdad, Iraq ? Kurdish and Shiite leaders agreed Monday to convene Iraq’s new parliament this week even if they fail to iron out some wrinkles in their deal to form a coalition government.

Shiite officials also agreed to reach out to the country’s Sunni Arab community to name the parliament speaker for the 275-member National Assembly that convenes Wednesday.

The Shiite clergy-backed United Iraqi Alliance and a Kurdish coalition, which won the two biggest blocks of seats in Jan. 30 elections, agreed last week to form a coalition government with Islamic Dawa party leader Ibrahim al-Jaafari as prime minister.

In return, Jalal Talabani will become Iraq’s first Kurdish president.

“We discussed the blueprint of the agreement reached Thursday. Some issues were revised and those revisions are still being discussed,” alliance member Ali al-Dabagh told The Associated Press.

Al-Dabagh expressed optimism a final deal would be reached soon, but added that even without an agreement “the first session of the National Assembly will be held on Wednesday anyway.”