Deal could end Iraqi parliamentary stalemate

[molly48]

DUBAI: Iraqi leaders are expected to announce a national unity government at the end of a conference of main political parties that opened yesterday, heralding the end of an eight-month stalemate since elections in March.

Reports suggest a deal has been brokered under which the Shiite leader Nouri al-Maliki will remain prime minister, Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, will remain president and the largely Sunni Iraqiya alliance will nominate the parliamentary speaker. However, the involved parties said no deal had been finalised.

A surge in sectarian violence and growing anger over the MPs having met only once since polling day have put party leaders under increasing pressure to seal a power-sharing deal.

Advertisement: Story continues below A spokesman for Mr Maliki said an agreement had been struck for him to remain in office.

The Iraqiya bloc, his main opponent, which won the most seats in the elections, denied that a deal had been reached or that names had been agreed for individual posts. But Maysoun al-Damalouji, the bloc's principal spokeswoman, said negotiations had begun.

The Iraqiya leader, Iyad Allawi, a secular Sunni, had previously said he would not serve under Mr Maliki. But he has been unable to win acceptance for any other candidate, while Mr Maliki's Shiite State of Law party, with Iranian support, has been building a coalition that could have excluded Mr Allawi from power altogether.

The US was also keen for a deal to be arranged, fearing Iranian domination of any government without Iraqiya. Iraqiya won the overwhelming support of the Sunni minority in the elections and it was feared that if it were shut out of the government, militant groups would use the threat of Shiite domination as a recruiting tool.

State of Law won the backing of the Sadrists, the militant Shiites whose leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, lives in Iran.

Mr Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, said Mr Allawi had been asked to name the speaker.

''There is a draft agreement with the Iraqiya party, but there are still some problems to resolve,'' Mr Dabbagh said. ''Iraqiya has not agreed for the moment over which side will have the parliament speaker's position and which side will have the presidency.''

He said that in the draft, Mr Maliki would remain prime minister and Mr Talabani, from the Kurdish bloc, which holds the balance of power, would remain president, a less important role.

Ms Damalouji said Iraqiya would attend a conference of the parties in the Kurdish autonomous region city of Arbil, at which a deal was expected to be announced. Parliament would then reopen on Thursday.

- A suicide bomber who targeted a bus carrying pilgrims from Iran killed at least 10 people and injured 38 in the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala yesterday.

Richard Spencer

November 9, 2010

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/deal-could-end-iraqi-parliamentary-stalemate-20101108-17kk9.html

[A. Zuccaro]

Thanks for the post! Ann

[Doc31]

Thanks for the post!