Iraqi rivals to discuss new government - Feature

Sat, 24 Apr 2010
Kadhim al-Attabi

Baghdad - Iraqis are watching out for an alleged meeting between rivals former prime minister Iyad Allawi and current premier Nuri al-Maliki to discuss forming the new government.

A rumored reconciliation between the two is dominating political talk in the country's streets, after local media reported that both men have agreed to meet.

Intense political jockeying has followed the results of the March parliamentary elections, as both al-Maliki and Allawi claimed the right to form a new government.

Results showed Allawi's Iraqiya List winning 91 seats in the 325-member parliament, followed by al-Maliki's State of Law coalition with 89 seats. The National Iraqi Alliance came third with 70 seats.

Taha al-Luhaybi, a member of the Iraqyia List, told the German Press Agency dpa that "the agenda of the meeting between al-Maliki and Allawi was finalized" and that the meeting would focus on power-sharing and setting a program for the next government.

"If this meeting succeeds, it will resolve the formation of the government with the participation of all Iraqi parties," al-Luhaybi added.

Reports about the meeting come after al-Maliki announced that talks between his coalition and the National Iraqi Alliance, led by Ammar al-Hakim, had reached a deadlock.

"I think a coalition between al-Maliki and Allawi's lists could pave the way for forming a new government representing all Iraqis, since the State of Law includes a majority of Shiites, and Allawi's list includes mostly Sunnis," said Saad Jasim, a 49-year-old civil servant.

"It is likely that there would be important results if the two parties met and discussed their programs properly away from factional parties," Jasim added.

Though the date of the meeting has not been announced, both men and their followers have paved its way by confirming their commitment to form the next Iraqi government, at a time when all eyes are on the Independent High Electoral Commission to begin the process of recounting votes in the capital.

On Monday, an Iraqi court ruled in favor of a manual recount of votes in Baghdad, after al-Maliki's coalition appealed, saying it had proof of fraud. Results showed it narrowly lost the vote.

Allawi declared that he supported the recount under "tight international supervision", stressing that the outcome of the elections was clear and his List's constitutional right to form a new government.

"A meeting between al-Maliki and Allawi should be something normal, because they are the two poles of the political process. It would be unnatural if they did not meet," said Khairullah al-Basri, a member of the State of Law Coalition.

"I do not think their meeting needs a date, program or conditions. They should be talking on a daily basis especially at this stage which requires forming a new government," al-Basri told.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/320376,iraqi-rivals-to-discuss-new-government--feature.html.