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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament will
convene by Saturday to elect a speaker and try to
reach agreement on a government to end a political
crisis in the country, politicians said.
The assembly's first working session will be held at
the weekend after the Shi'ite and Kurdish blocs, who
between them have the two-thirds majority needed to
form a government, sign a declaration on the status
of the oil city of Kirkuk and the role of Islam,
they said.
``We will affirm the need to solve territorial
disputes according to the interim constitution,
which also says Islam is a main source of
legislation and dispels fears that Iraq will be
ruled by the clergy,'' said Ali al-Dabagh, a member
of the Shi'ite bloc, the United Iraqi Alliance.
``There are still issues to be settled, notably
ministries such as defense,'' said Dabagh, who is
well connected with the Shi'ite seminary in Najaf
and its Iranian-born leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, another alliance member, said
the session of the 275-member assembly could be as
early as Friday, after Kurdish leaders return from
Kurdish new celebrations in the north.
Uloum said Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawer, a Sunni
Arab, is the main candidate for speaker and it is
understood that Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani will
be appointed president in exchange for the Kurds
backing Alliance candidate Ibrahim Jaafari for prime
minister.
``If things go smoothly we could see a presidential
council elected in the same session,'' said Uloum, a
candidate to head the oil ministry.
Parliament needs to elect a president and two vice
presidents in order for the government to be formed.
The assembly convened for the first time last week,
but the session was ceremonial, with no government
in place yet.
Cabinet ministers, including those for the
portfolios of defense, finance and oil, have to yet
to be finalized, MPs said.
Iraq has been in limbo since Jan 30. elections which
gave the Shi'ite alliance 140 seats and the Kurds
75. The two sides have been arguing over the status
of Kirkuk, which the Kurds want as part of their
federal region, how to split cabinet seats and how
to define the role of Islam in Iraqi politics.
Reuters
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