Iraq's Allawi says new polls may be needed

Allawi mulls asking UN, EU, Arab League to intervene over stalled Iraq government formation.

BAGHDAD - Iraq's general election winner on Wednesday said new parliamentary polls run by international monitors may be needed to end dangerous "political manipulation" that is endangering the country's stability.

Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya coalition said it had considered asking the United Nations, the European Union, and the Arab League to intervene amid bitter recriminations that have blocked democratic progress since the March 7 vote.

No party won an outright majority in the election and subsequent coalition talks between the leading contenders appear to have stalled, leaving the country far from ready to seat a new government.

Iraqiya leaders met on Tuesday and released a detailed list of demands which they said amounted to their last word on a row that has seen dozens of their candidates -- including one winning MP -- disqualified since the vote.

They said they would send a letter to the head of Iraq's top court, the Supreme Judicial Council, "stressing the urgency of his intervention to protect the judiciary from political influence, as this may have serious ramifications on the stability of the country."

Iraqiya also hit out at a controversial Justice and Accountability committee (JAC) and other state institutions that have made "malicious disqualifications and arrests affecting the candidates and supporters of Iraqiya."

They also "examined the option of resorting to the international community," including the members of the (UN) Security Council, EU, and states of the Arab League "to exercise their moral and legal right over the protection of the political process from any injustices and to form a caretaker government and repeat the elections in an environment free of any political manipulation."

Iraqiya's statement said intervention would be feasible as Iraq remains under the reach of Chapter Seven of the UN charter which sets out the Security Council's powers to maintain peace. Iraq was put into Chapter Seven status in 1990.

Allawi, a Shiite, had strong backing in Sunni Arab areas which led him to defeat incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, also Shiite, 91 seats to 89, in last month's election according to unofficial results.

Both need 163 seats to form a majority government.

An election official late Tuesday said a ruling on whether a further nine election winning candidates would be disqualified had been postponed until next week, in another hold-up for the process. The candidates are variously accused of links to Saddam's outlawed Baath party and military units during his reign.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=38684.