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Iraq president 'Talabani' steps up
pressure on PM Jaafari
4.3.2006
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BAGHDAD, March 4
(Reuters) - Iraq's President Jalal Talabani said on
Saturday that the nomination of Shi'ite Prime
Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari for a second term was an
obstacle to forming a government of national unity.
As mortar fire and a car bomb killed nine people in
two separate attacks in an area southeast of Baghdad
torn by sectarian violence, Talabani also called for
militias to join the U.S.-backed political process
and said he would issue a presidential decree to
convene parliament.
"Opposing Jaafari's nomination is not a personal
issue," said Talabani, a Kurd. "It is in the
interest of forming a government of national unity."
The ruling Shi'ite Alliance is facing mounting
pressure from would-be partners to ditch Jaafari
who, critics say, has failed to staunch sectarian
violence that has pushed Iraq toward the brink of
civil war.
The stalemate has complicated efforts to form a
unity government of Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds that
Washington sees as its best hope to stabilise Iraq
and allow it to draw down troops.
"The United Alliance has the right to nominate the
prime minister but the parliament has to approve
it," said Talabani. |
Iraqi
President : Jalal Talabani
Photo: Reuters
Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari |
As the largest block in parliament, the Alliance has
the right to choose the prime minister, who must be
ratified by a two thirds majority in parliament.
The president said he will call parliament to
convene -- expected around March 12 -- but few
expect the formation of a government. At best, a
speaker will be elected to chair the assembly for
four years.
After an ill-tempered meeting on Thursday of
Jaafari's Alliance bloc, political sources said some
rival Shi'ite factions were considering rerunning an
internal ballot, which Jaafari won last month by a
single vote.
The minority Sunni bloc, which took part in the
December elections for the first time, also want
Jaafari out.
"We have reservations on Jaafari as prime minister,"
Sunni Accordance Front spokesman Zafir al-Ani said
this week, adding the Front had asked Alliance
leaders to reconsider.
CURFEW ENDS
Life in Baghdad returned to relative weekend
normalcy after a daytime curfew that banned vehicle
traffic on Friday was lifted. But outside the
capital, violence raged.
A mortar round landed in a crowded market near a bus
station and killed seven people and wounded 20 in
the town of Gisr Diyala near Salman Pak, police
said.
A car bomb near a police checkpoint in Salman Pak
killed two civilians and wounded three police
officers.
Urging militants to lay down weapons, Talabani said:
"Fighting coalition forces is not in the interests
of Iraq."
Gen. John Abizaid, the Central Command chief who
oversees military operations in the Middle East,
also made an appeal for national unity during a
visit to Baghdad.
"The situation in Iraq is in the hands of the Iraqi
people," said Abizaid, who met Jaafari and Talabani.
"The government of national unity must be formed to
bring the country together."
Reuters
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