Infighting delays new Iraq government

[k98nights]

Infighting delays new Iraq government

38 mins ago

Suadad al-Salhy Political infighting and last-minute horse-trading delayed the formal announcement of a new Iraqi government on Monday, lawmakers said, as Iraq sought to end a 9-month vacuum created by an inconclusive election.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had been expected to introduce his cabinet choices before parliament on Monday, but lawmakers and a spokesman for the speaker said the day's agenda did not include the announcement. A spokesman for Maliki said he would proceed anyway, announcing a partial list.

The final deadline to approve the cabinet is at the end of the week, and the eleventh-hour squabbling and power-plays highlight the ethnic and sectarian divisions that pervade the country, 7-1/2 years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.

"Maliki delayed the announcement to give all blocs an opportunity to review their nominations and to put the final touches on an agreement and achieve greater consensus," said Abdul-Hadi al-Hasani, a politician from Maliki's coalition.

Maliki's cabinet is expected to retain Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani, the Shi'ite architect of ambitious plans to turn Iraq into a top global oil producer, as well as Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, a Kurd.

Shahristani is seen as a vital member of the new cabinet and his reappointment is important to assure investors Iraq will honour deals to develop its vast reserves.

Ahmed al-Oraibi, a lawmaker for the Sunni-backed Iraqiya political coalition, said political leaders were expected to sort out lingering disputes over the division of posts later on Monday, but other officials said resolving the problem could take longer.

DELAY REFLECTS WRANGLING

Maliki's spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the premier would announce "half the new government" later in the day.

Ibrahim al-Sumaidaie, an Iraqi political analyst, said the wrangling was an attempt by political parties to wrest concessions on ministerial appointments from Maliki.

"There are blocs that want to squeeze Maliki to make him respond to their demands," he said. "But Maliki can turn the tables on them and can go to parliament with half of the cabinet -- taking into consideration that he can insure a majority in the assembly."

A power-sharing deal last month between Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs put Maliki on track for a second term as prime minister. The November 10 agreement returned Kurd Jalal Talabani to the presidency and made Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, parliament's speaker.

Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a secular Shi'ite whose cross-sectarian coalition won the most seats in the March 7 vote, was unable to garner enough support to secure the premiership but has said he will also join the government as head of a new national strategic policy council.

Allawi's decision, which he announced on Sunday after weeks of uncertainty, could soothe worries about renewed sectarian violence.

Maliki is not expected to reveal sensitive security posts, including the interior, defence and national security ministers, as nominees have not yet been decided.

Iraq is seeking to rebuild damaged and neglected infrastructure after decades of war and sanctions. It relies on oil for 95 percent of federal revenues and has set out ambitious targets to boost output capacity to 12 million barrels per day (bpd) over the next six or seven years from 2.5 million today.

(Additional reporting by Muhanad Mohammed, Ahmed Rasheed and Waleed Ibrahim; writing by Caroline Drees; editing by Jim Loney and Peter Millership)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20101220/tpl-uk-iraq-politics-81f3b62.html

[TimS]

Surprise...surprise

[michelneedsRV]

Surprise...surprise

shock??

[eileen]

Can't take this anymore...

[Hrkal]

Dissapointed again by the progress????

I have been holding the currency for just over 7 years. It seems that every year in the last quarter, the talk of something positive seems to increase. It is my assumption that it is the end of the year push for the outfits that are selling the currency. Now I am not saying that I do not believe that the currency will one day pay off, but the investment banker that I worked with to decide to aquire the Dinar told me that you should think of this as a 15-25 year investment. Once the country stabilizes and produces economic stregnth that is sustainable, then the currency will stabilize. It is our belief that even if an RV comes, we will be in a long line of countries and other entities that would be cashing in. Therefore there will be increased pressure downward after an RV (similar to a stock sell off) that will drive the value of the Dinar down initially, even after an RV. The country still has many financial obligations of which are attached to the currency, we are just the "little fish" in the currency.

While I hope I am wrong, I just doesn't seem logical that if they RV at $3 (for example) that it will still be at $3 when our transactions go through. Where is Iraq going to come up with that kind of cash without a steady GDP, sustained economic growth and increased oil production? The major oil Corp's. haven't even built all of the rigs yet. I believe it will come but not right now.

Read more: http://dinarvets.com/forums/index.php?/user/24561-hrkal/#ixzz18g9dDZv5