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BAGHDAD, Iraq -
In what may prove to be a double-edged sword, Iraq's
Shiite vice president finally agreed Wednesday to
sign a presidential decree calling parliament into
session.
Adil Abdul-Mahdi's signature cleared the way for the
much-delayed first session as early as Sunday, but
also openly signaled a fundamental disagreement
within once-unified majority Shiite ranks --
portending an even greater stumbling block to the
formation of a new government.
''He signed the decree today. I expect the first
session to be held on Sunday or by the end of next
week at the latest,'' said Nadim al-Jabiri, head of
one of seven Shiite political factions.
Abdul-Mahdi's signature, withheld since Monday, was
necessary to put President Jalal Talabani's decree
on parliament into effect.
The dispute centers on Shiite Prime Minister Ibrahim
al-Jaafari's bid for a second term, which is opposed
by a coalition of Sunni Arab, Kurdish and secular
Shiite politicians -- led by Talabani, a Kurd.
The president has openly challenged al-Jaafari's
candidacy on grounds he is too divisive and would be
unable to form a government representing all of
Iraq's religious and ethnic factions. There was also
great unease over al-Jaafari's close ties to radical
anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
It was al-Sadr's support that enabled al-Jaafari to
defeat Abdul-Mahdi by a single vote in a caucus last
month among Shiites elected to the new parliament.
Abdul-Mahdi heads the Shiite parliamentary bloc
loyal to Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the country's senior
Shiite politician and head of the Supreme Council
for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Political insiders now say al-Jaafari's candidacy
depends on how the bloc loyal to al-Hakim and
Abdul-Mahdi decides to vote. Al-Hakim and
Abdul-Mahdi are widely said by politicians to oppose
his nomination but have held back from outright
opposition because they fear incurring the wrath of
al-Sadr.
Holding a first session of parliament is a required
step toward forming a new government. Fifteen days
after the first meeting, parliament is supposed to
elect a new president -- a job Talabani wants to
keep. In 15 more days, the parliament is to approve
the nominated prime minister and 30 days later must
vote on his Cabinet.
AP
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