|
Lag in forming Iraq Government troublesome
3.2.2006
|
|
|
|
(AP) Iraqi efforts to
form a government are only now beginning in earnest
nearly two months after key elections, and the hard
bargaining could take weeks _ if not months _ to
produce a new leadership. That could delay the
eventual drawdown of U.S. forces.
American diplomats are putting intense pressure on
the Iraqis to agree quickly on a government to
include Shiites, Kurds and Sunni Arabs, the
community that forms the backbone of the insurgency.
Until a new government is in place, it is unlikely
the United States and its coalition partners can
move to the next step _ pulling out some of the
160,000-strong multinational force. The top U.S.
commander in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, has said he
may recommend cutbacks this spring.
Major roadblocks stand in the way of a deal for a
new government, and thus for any drawdowns _
including control of the country's security forces,
a definition of terrorism, unfinished business on
the new constitution and the deep distrust fanned by
tit-for-tat killings.
Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish politicians have been
holding informal contacts since the Dec. 15
balloting, but they are waiting for ratification of
the election results before tackling the issues in
earnest. Certification of the votes is expected next
week.
Once that step is complete, President Jalal Talabani
must convene the new 275-member assembly within two
weeks. Under the law, parliament then has 30 days to
elect a new national president.
Talabani said Wednesday his Kurdish coalition will
nominate him for a second term, and he expects to
count on the support of Shiites and others for the
mostly ceremonial position.
The new president has 15 days to name a new prime
minister from the ranks of the Shiite religious
parties that won the biggest number of parliament
seats _ 128. The prime minister-designate then has
30 days to present his Cabinet to parliament for
approval by majority vote.
If the Iraqis take the maximum time allowed for each
step, it would be May before a government is in
place. Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi, a Shiite
widely mentioned as possible prime minister, said
Wednesday he expected to finish the talks by
mid-March.
However, negotiations in Iraq often move at a
glacial pace, and deadlines written in the law are
sometimes ignored _ such as during last year's
deliberations on the constitution.
Iraqis chose the outgoing parliament in January 2005
but their leaders couldn't agree on a government
until the end of April.
The stakes are higher this time because the
government could stay in office up to four years.
Hence, the haggling will be all the more intense.
Forming a government requires dividing ministries
among the various sectarian and ethnically based
parties. It also will require compromise between
Shiites and Sunnis on fundamental issues that lie at
the heart of the Iraq conflict.
The Shiite alliance, for example, has insisted Sunni
politicians not only condemn "terrorism" but work
actively to oppose the mostly Sunni insurgency.
Sunni Arabs insist on drawing a distinction between
terrorism _ suicide bombs that kill civilians _ and
"legitimate resistance" against forces of the
U.S.-led coalition.
Sunni politicians believe drawing a distinction is
the only way to lure nationalist-minded insurgent
groups away from the religious extremists of al-Qaida
in Iraq.
Sunnis also want changes in the constitution
concerning regional self-rule and the purging of
members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party from public
life. Sunnis won a pledge to revisit those issues in
return for allowing the draft to go to an October
referendum, when it was approved.
Shiite leaders insist on maintaining their right to
establish a self-ruled region in the south. But
Sunnis fear that would deprive them of the nation's
vast oil wealth and open the door to Iranian
influence.
"I can't predict a timetable for forming the
government," senior Kurdish political Mahmoud Othman
said. "All these important points need thorough
study. If they can't reach an agreement, then there
will be a problem."
AP
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 