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BAGHDAD, March 22 (AFP) - 13h32 - Iraq's Shiites
will take 16 to 17 ministries in the next
government, the Kurds will hold seven to eight
ministries and the country's Sunni minority will be
awarded four to six ministries, a Shiite negotiator
said Tuesday.
Kurdish sources confirmed the numbers, while both
sides predicted that an agreement on the government
should be reached before Sunday.
The Shiites will take the interior and finance
ministries, along with the cabinet post of national
security advisor, said Maryam Rayes, a negotiator
with the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), which won 146
seats in the new 275-member parliament.
The Kurds, with 77 seats, the second largest bloc in
parliament, will receive seven to eight ministries,
including the foreign ministry and probably oil,
Rayes said.
A Kurdish source also confirmed the Kurds were
likely to get eight ministries, including oil and
foreign affairs.
The source said other posts that were locked up
included the presidency, to be held by Jalal
Talabani, and the post of deputy prime minister.
One complication that could change the allotment of
slots is whether outgoing prime minister Iyad
Allawi's list decides to join the government, which
remains unclear, the Kurdish source said.
For her part, Rayes said Iraq's Sunni minority, who
boycotted the election, would probably be awarded
between four and six posts, while the Christian and
Turkmen minorities would receive one ministry each.
Rayes said she thought it was doubtful Allawi or his
followers would join the government.
Al-Mutumar, the newspaper of secular Shiite
politician Ahmed Chalabi, said outgoing Sunni
president Ghazi al-Yawar would be the parliament's
new speaker and fellow Sunni politician Hajem al-Hassani
would serve as vice president.
Concerns abound among Iraqi politicians about
whether any single Sunni leader represents the
minority group, which has splintered since the fall
of Saddam's regime.
Separately, UIA spokesman Haitham al-Husseini said
the sides were hoping to convene the second session
of parliament on Thursday after a first session last
Wednesday.
"There's the proposal for the parliament to meet
this coming Thursday. It's a great possibilty, but
its not confirmed yet. It's all under discussion,
the other possible date is Saturday."
The Kurdish source said the parliament should
convene by Sunday at latest.
AFP
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