Urgent - Iraq's new government approved by parliament

[demouser]

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/204252/

[RVDinar4MyFamily]

This is good news, thanks for posting

Article Text

Urgent - Iraq's new government approved by parliament

Tuesday, December 21st 2010 1:51 PM

Erbil, Dec. 20 (AKnews) – The Iraqi parliament has approved the long-awaited government ending months of disputes days before a constitutional deadline for Maliki to form the government expire. However, the new cabinet set off outrage among the women lawmakers for not including any women.

Iraq had been awaiting the new government for eight months after the March 7 parliamentary elections failed to determine the winner to form a majority government. Maliki had a constitutional deadline until Sunday to form the new cabinet before President Jalal Talabani charge another lawmaker to do so.

The new government does not include any women which was strongly protested by the women bloc prompting Maliki to postpone the announcement of some of the ministries until women candidates are put forward by the blocs relevant to the remaining ministries.

Though the women were not happy about the new cabinet they voted for the it to "not prolong Iraqi people's suffering who have been waiting for a new government for so long." as the Kurdish woman MP Ala Talabani put it.

Talabani said, in a speech she delivered during the opening of the session, that the new government had violated the Iraqi constitution for not allocating 25% of the posts to women.

"The absence of women (in the new cabinet) is to marginalize the role of women in the reconstruction of this country" Talabani told the session, urging the Iraqi president Jalal Talabani to call an urgent meeting to follow up the issue.

Prime MInister Nuri al-Maliki said he would not enter the parliament next time if there were no women candidates for the remaining ministerial portfolios.

"I wanted this government to be different from the previous one. If there were four women ministers in the previous government I wanted and wished to have more women in this government"

[WhiteKnight]

Sounds good but how did they write it yesterday when it happened today? Dates all wrong! Wrote on Dec20...news on 21st...hmmmmmm

[demouser]

sorry i forgot to paste the content since it was to 'urgent' for everyone..

[krmayo]

I believe they are still in session.

[RVDinar4MyFamily]

Sounds good but how did they write it yesterday when it happened today? Dates all wrong! Wrote on Dec20...news on 21st...hmmmmmm

probably misprint being that they are talking about todays events surrounding the issues with women in parliment. unless one of them has a time machine lol

[demouser]

I don't think so, because there is no more parliament session, are they finished already?

[Bradley]

It just poped up on Fox News.com

[Moe485]

It just poped up on Fox News.com

YESSSSSSSS !

[krmayo]

Ok. Video update shows the lawmakers have approved the gov. Fireworks, celebratory gun fire. IT IS DONE. Finally. Next, RV??

[BamBam]

I caught the tail end of the live stream, but it was said only half of the minister announced? How many positions left?

[demouser]

more link here

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=139961

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Parliament’s Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi said on Tuesday that the government presented by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki won Iraqis support.

“The lawmakers approved the new Iraqi government presented by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki,” al-Nujaifi said in the session aired by al-Iraqiya satellite channel.

Lawmakers began their session on Tuesday afternoon with speeches ahead of a vote on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s 42-strong cabinet list which leaves Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in place and includes current Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahrestani as deputy prime minister for energy.

Before the voting started, former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who failed to gain enough support for a parliamentary majority after his cross-sectarian Iraqiya bloc won the most seats, told lawmakers his Sunni-backed coalition would participate fully in the government.

The prime minister’s partial list of proposed ministers, published on Monday, promoted deputy oil minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi to minister and made prominent Sunni leader Rafie al-Issawi finance minister.

SH (S)/SR

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12047721

Iraq's parliament has approved the re-appointment of Nouri Maliki as prime minister, ending nine months of deadlock after inconclusive elections.

Outgoing Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani, a Shia like Mr Maliki, is now deputy prime minister for energy, while Sunni Arab Deputy PM Rafi al-Issawi, becomes finance minister.

Veteran Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd, remains in place.

MPs also backed a plan to liberalise Iraq's economy and fight terrorism.