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Iraqi president criticises PM Jaafari for
Turkey visit
28.2.2006
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BAGHDAD, Feb 28
(Reuters) - Iraq's President Jalal Talabani
criticised interim Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari
for making a solo visit to Turkey on Tuesday without
consulting other members of the government.
Talabani, who is a Kurd from the north, presides
over Iraq's fractious political system, which
includes a parliament riven by religious and ethnic
divisions. Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria
long for an independent state of their own and
consider Turkish treatment of Kurds to be
oppressive.
"The Iraqi government is not committed to any
agreement which may be reached between the prime
minister and the Turkish government," Talabani said
in a statement.
Talabani said he deeply regretted Jaafari's
unilateral decision to make the trip without
consultation. Jaafari is a leader of the Shi'ite
majority bloc in parliament. The legislative body
also includes members of the Sunni minority.
"We express our deep regret with this decision which
does not meet with Mr Jaafari's assurance that he
will commit to group work," Talabani said a strongly
worded statement. |
Iraqi
President : Jalal Talabani
Photo: Reuters
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Jaafari, who currently heads a caretaker government
while a new government is agreed upon, has been
criticised by the Kurdish president and other
political leaders in the past.
U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq in 2003 and toppled the
government of former President Saddam Hussein. Sunni
Muslims had enjoyed power and privilege under
Saddam's three-decade rule, while members of the
Muslim Shi'ite sect in the south and ethnic Kurds in
Northern Iraq were oppressed.
Iraq witnessed its first post-war elections on
December 15, electing the first full-term government
since Saddam's overthrow. The dominant Shi'ite bloc
won the right to appoint a prime minister and
Jaafari is expected to remain in office.
Kurds, Sunnis and other members of a potential
national unity coalition government have privately
expressed dismay that Shi'ites chose Jaafari to
remain in office by a single vote in an internal
ballot of their alliance.
The United Iraqi Alliance, the largest Shi'ite bloc
with 128 seats in the New Parliament, consists of
several parties including Jafaari's Islamist Dawa
Party, the Supreme Council For The Islamic
Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), and the Sadr Movement,
run by firebrand Shi-ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
The Kurdish Alliance took 53 seats and and Arab
Sunni parties control 58 seats.
Reuters
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