Consensus preliminary for parliament gathering

[dhill958]

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/163310/

Consensus preliminary for parliament gathering

Monday, July 12th 2010 4:24 PM

Erbil, July 12 (AKnews) – The Spokesperson of al-Iraqia said today that they are working out an agreement with the State of Law, while Sadr Movement Spokesman declared that they can postpone the meeting as long as the blocs reach consensus for cabinet shaping.

"If the State of Law Coalition and al-Iraqia worked out an agreement the Parliament may hold the due meeting", Maysun Damluji, the Spokesperson of al-Iraqia, led by Iyad Allawi, said on Monday.

Hachm Hasani, the Spokesman of the State of Law Coalition, led by the outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri-al-Maliki, also told AKnews on Monday "Our bloc has set forth some proposals to al-Iraqia and we expect we get the approval of al-Iraqia for them before evening".

As for the details of the proposals, Hasani said there are many proposals but "after the two sides agreed on them, the proposals will be announced because they will undergo changes".

"Al-Iraqia has also some demands; the bloc has put forward that it be entitled by the virtue of the Iraqi Constitution the right to from the next government and assign the next Prime Minister", said Hasani, adding that al-Iraqia requires that all the political parties be treated justly so that the list can step forward for talks with them.

"If al-Iraqia and the State of Law do not consulate the other blocs in deciding over next government's shaping and distribute the senior positions, we will boycott the parliament session", said the Spokesman of Sadr Movement, Salah Ubeidi.

"The political leaders are getting used to breaching the Constitution", he added, saying "the Parliament session without the political players' consensus is not only useless but it complicates the issue of shaping the government further ".

"Though postponing the session is against the Constitution but if the government is formed without Sadr Movement and its leader, Amar Hakim, this government is not an inclusive one", he said, arguing therefore, they can "postpone the session as long as a consensus for an inclusive government is reached at".

Ubeidi also reiterated that Maliki has gone against the terms of its alliance with the Iraqi National Alliance (INA) just to secure his office for a second term".

The Iraqi Parliamentary elections were held on March 7, and the results were announced on the 26th the same month.

The outcomes showed the progress of al-Iraqia List, by gaining 91 seats, over the other Iraqi lists. The State of Law Coalition won 89 seats, while INA secured 70 seats and Kurdistani Coalition List came in the fourth place by obtaining 43 seats.

However, the Kurdish lists entered an alliance after the elections, called Kurdish Factions Alliance (KFA), with 57 seats.

On June 1st the Iraqi Federal Court ratified the outcomes of the parliamentary elections and on 14th the same month the new Iraqi Parliament convened its first session.

In the second session, due to be held tomorrow, July 13, the MPs should name the Iraqi President and the Speaker of the Parliament, along with his two Deputies.

Earlier today the Head of the Iraqi Parliament's Media Office declared that the second session of the Iraqi Parliament is postponed for two weeks.

Lh (AKnews)