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BAGHDAD (Reuters) March 29, 2005 1:20 PM- Iraq's
parliament was due to meet on Tuesday for the second
time since it was elected two months ago in historic
polls, but it faced deadlock with politicians unable
to agree on a new government.
The Shi'ite Islamist alliance that came top in the
elections and the Kurdish coalition that came second
have been haggling for weeks over cabinet posts and
the principles that should guide the new government,
but little progress has been made.
Officials had at least hoped to appoint a parliament
speaker and two deputy speakers at Tuesday's
session, a basic step that would allow the
parliament to start discussing issues even if no
government was yet in place. But just hours before
the start of the session at 11 a.m. (0800 GMT) no
name had been agreed.
Shi'ites and Kurds have proposed appointing a Sunni
Arab as speaker, part of their efforts to reach out
to the minority that dominated Iraq under Saddam
Hussein but has been left with little political
representation after many Sunnis stayed away from
the January elections due to fear or anger.
One candidate suggested for the position, current
President Ghazi al-Yawar, has rejected it, aides
say. Officials have been unable to agree on an
alternative candidate.
Hoshiyar Zebari, Iraq's foreign minister and a key
Kurdish negotiator, said Sunni Arabs in the assembly
had been invited to propose a speaker, and it was
hoped they would reach consensus.
Another possible candidate was Fawaz al-Jarba, a
Sunni Arab who joined the mainly Shi'ite alliance.
But some leading politicians said that because he
was seen as an alliance candidate he would not be
favoured.
Officials said the assembly would probably hold a
vote to choose between Jarba and an alternative
candidate.
Once a speaker is agreed, the 275-member National
Assembly's next task is to elect a president and two
vice presidents by a two-thirds majority -- which
will mean the Shi'ites and Kurds must reach a deal
so that they have enough votes. The president will
choose a prime minister, who will appoint a cabinet.
DAMAGING STALEMATE
Hussein al-Shahristani, a Shi'ite nuclear scientist
who spent 12 years in Saddam's jails, was expected
to be named as one of the deputy speakers.
The Shi'ites and Kurds have broad agreement that
Shi'ite leader Ibrahim Jaafari will be the next
prime minister with Kurdish politician Jalal
Talabani taking the presidency. But they have failed
to agree on the distribution of cabinet posts.
Cracks are also appearing within the Shi'ite
alliance, with some members voicing doubts about
Jaafari.
Several government officials say the political
stalemate is doing considerable damage to Iraq, with
key policies on hold. Ordinary Iraqis who braved
suicide bombs and insurgent threats to vote in the
elections are increasingly angry about the delay.
As politicians focus on horse-trading, insurgents
are pressing on with their campaign of violence.
Three Romanian journalists were kidnapped in Iraq on
Monday, Romania's president said.
Romanian media said Marijan Ion and Sorin Miscoci of
Prima TV and Ovidiu Ohannesian of Romania Libera
newspaper were snatched in Baghdad. They were the
latest foreigners to be seized in a wave of
kidnapping that has swept Iraq.
French journalist Florence Aubenas, kidnapped in
January, remains missing. Italian reporter Guliana
Sgrena, snatched in February, was freed a month
later but was wounded when U.S. troops opened fire
on an Italian car taking her to the airport.
The U.S. military says the incident, in which an
Italian secret agent was killed, was a tragic
mistake. The shooting strained ties between Iraq war
allies Washington and Rome.
Reuters
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