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Jaafari offers to quit Premier race

Atul Aneja

Differences among various parties hold back Iraqi government formation

— PHOTO: AP

MANY ISSUES ON HAND: Shia leader Adbul-Aziz al-Hakim (centre), President Jalal Talabani (left), and Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari during the first session of Parliament in Baghdad on Thursday.

DUBAI: Iraq's Parliament has been sworn in, but differences among various parties are holding back the formation of a new government.

There has been stiff opposition to Ibrahim Jaafari, who has been chosen as the prime ministerial candidate by the United Iraqi Alliance — a Shia grouping which has got the maximum seats in the 275 member Assembly. The main Kurdish Alliance, whose support the UIA needs to form a stable government, had also opposed Mr. Jaafari's nomination earlier.

Shifting position

Reports in the local Iraqi media suggest that the Kurdish Alliance might have shifted its position lately mainly due to the exertions of its leader Jalal Talabani, who is known to be close to Iran. During the inaugural session, which lasted only for 30 minutes, Mr. Jaafari said he would be willing to withdraw his name from premiership, if the people of Iraq wanted him to do so. The mandatory appointment of a Speaker did not take place.

With sectarian violence shooting up, the Americans are considering an alternative political arrangement that could end the crisis on the formation of government. According to the BBC, there has been an agreement in principle that a leadership council be formed that would be made up of the President, Prime Minister, the Speaker, the head of judiciary and other political chiefs. The proposal has emerged, "partly because of heavy pressure from the U.S. Ambassador." The Americans have been advocating the formation of a "national unity" government, which would include Sunnis who contested elections under the banner of the Iraqi Accordance Front. Against the backdrop of surging Sunni-Shia clashes, the Americans are pushing in nearly 1000 troops and tanks inside Iraq ahead of the conclusion of a major Shia festival.

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