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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - More than a month after
Iraq's historic election, ethnic and sectarian
divisions have stymied efforts to form a government,
deepening political uncertainty and delaying badly
needed reconstruction.
The divisions and political horse-trading among
Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims and Kurds have prevented a
new 275-member national assembly from meeting and a
prime minister from being chosen.
The parliament elected in a Jan. 30 vote is supposed
to name a government and write a constitution before
dissolving and new elections being held by the end
of the year.
But so far Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, proposed as prime
minister by the Shi'ite bloc that won half the seats
in parliament, has been unable to secure enough
votes in the assembly to get the job.
Jaafari is challenged by pro-American interim Prime
Minister Iyad Allawi, with 40 seats, and both men
are seeking the support of the Kurds, who have
emerged as the potential kingmakers.
"We could see a hung parliament, and Allawi
effectively running the country in a caretaker role
until the writing of the constitution and the next
elections,'' Ali al-Lami, spokesman for the Shi'ite
Political Council, part of the Shi'ite bloc, said.
He said Kurds were demanding guarantees from Jaafari,
such as limiting the influence of Islamists and
clarifying the status of the city of Kirkuk.
Ethnically mixed Kirkuk is the center of Iraq's
northern oil industry and the Kurds want it to be
part of a federal Kurdish region.
While vying for posts, including president and
ministries, goes on, efforts to rebuild Iraq,
already severely hampered by persistent violence
since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 to oust
Saddam Hussain, mark time.
NO GOVERNMENT, NO RECONSTRUCTION
"Everyone has been waiting for the elections to
start doing serious business,'' said a senior Iraqi
supplier. "Instead Iraq is facing delays it cannot
really afford. The country needs almost everything
badly.''
Businessmen say no economic recovery can take place
as long as Iraq has a caretaker administration,
which is largely waiting in limbo for a new
government to emerge.
A senior official in the Supreme Council for the
Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), part of the main
Shi'ite bloc, said it could take weeks before
consensus is reached.
"Parliament will not meet before power-sharing is
agreed,'' said the official, adding Sunni Arabs, who
largely boycotted the elections, had to be convinced
to accept Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, as president.
Jaafari has just been in Kurdistan where the main
Kurdish bloc won 75 seats and, politicians involved
in the talks say, the Kurds will back whoever gives
them the best deal.
Despite misgivings, the Kurds have not ruled out
supporting Allawi but, even if he wins their
support, he will be short of the assembly votes he
needs to be re-appointed prime minister.
For that, he needs to convince members of the main
Shi'ite bloc to switch sides, and this is unlikely
as Allawi, a secular Shi'ite and former Baathist, is
not close to Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most
influential cleric, who oversaw the formation of the
Shi'ite list that dominated the elections.
As time wears on, cracks have emerged in the Iraqi
National Alliance, which won the most votes in
January, and on Friday two small parties quit the
group, underscoring the wrangling to form a new
government.
Ali Hashem Youshaa, secretary general of the
National Coalition, and Abdel Karim al-Mahamadawi of
Hizbollah said they were leaving the alliance and
keeping their options open.
The departures will not change the race for prime
minister but reflect the tensions as parties jockey
for power.
Reuters
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