BAGHDAD — Sunni lawmakers ended their five-week boycott of parliament today, raising hopes the factious assembly can make progress on benchmark legislation demanded by Washington.

The 44 members of the Iraqi Accordance Front attended Thursday's session after striking a deal with other blocs to reinstate the Sunni speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who was ousted by the Shiite-dominated assembly last month for erratic behavior.

Al-Mashhadani is expected to gracefully resign after presiding over a number of sessions. Shiite legislator Hassan al-Suneid, an aide to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said al-Mashhadani's return came after secret conditions that should not be made public.

The Sunnis ended their walkout two days after Shiite lawmakers loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ended their boycott after officials accepted their demands for rebuilding a Shiite shrine damaged by bombings.

Those two boycotts had paralyzed the 275-member parliament, which is under strong criticism from U.S. critics for failing to approve key legislation and for plans to take a month's vacation in August at a time when American and Iraqi troops are dying on the battlefield.

The sensitivities displayed by both the Accordance Front and al-Sadr's allies indicates the depth of suspicion and sectarian rivalry prevalent in Iraq after more than four years of war.

Meanwhile, the U.S. announced that two American soldiers have been charged with killing an Iraqi.

The U.S. military said an Army lieutenant colonel had been relieved of command in connection with the murder charges, which were filed this week against two soldiers — Sgt. 1st Class Trey A. Corrales of San Antonio and Spc. Christopher P. Shore of Winder, Ga.

Each was charged with one count of murder in the death, which occurred June 23 near the northern city of Kirkuk, the U.S. said in a statement.

Lt. Col. Michael Browder, who was their battalion commander, is not a suspect and has not been charged with any offense but was fired for leadership failure, the U.S. said.

No further details were released, but the statement noted that the charges are allegations and neither of the two soldiers has been convicted.