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Jaafari: I will not be forced out by US
and UK
5.4.2006 |
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Iraqi Prime Minister
Ibrahim Jaafari has rejected growing pressure to
resign, saying Iraqis must be allowed to choose
their leader democratically.
In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Mr
Jaafari dismissed calls from opponents and some
allies to step aside to break a political deadlock.
The Shias' nomination of Mr Jaafari has been a major
sticking point in forming a government as he lacks
wider support.
He has also been criticised for not doing more to
curb sectarian violence.
"There is a decision that was reached by a
democratic mechanism and I stand with it," Mr
Jaafari told the British newspaper. |
Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari |
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"We have to protect democracy in Iraq and it is
democracy which should decide who leads Iraq. We
have to respect our Iraqi people."
He added: "People will react if they see the rules
of democracy being disobeyed. Every politician and
every friend of Iraq should not want people to be
frustrated.
"Everyone should stick to democratic mechanisms no
matter whether they disagree with the person."
Iraq 'in crisis'
Mr Jaafari edged out Iraqi Vice-President Adel Abdul
Mahdi - said to be Washington's preferred candidate
for the premiership - by one vote in hustings for
the leadership contest in February.
Mr Mahdi added his voice to calls for the prime
minister to step down on Tuesday - making him the
most senior figure in Mr Jaafari's dominant Shia
alliance to urge him to withdraw.
His comments came a day after US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary Jack
Straw ended a visit to Baghdad to press for swifter
movement on establishing a government of national
unity.
Mr Mahdi told the BBC's HARDtalk TV programme he had
urged Mr Jaafari to step down pointing out "that the
country is already in crisis and we have to find an
end to that".
Mr Jaafari has so far failed to get the approval of
minority political groups in parliament in his
efforts to form a national unity government, and was
also facing rejection within his own United Iraqi
Alliance (UIA), Mr Mahdi said.
Sectarian tensions
The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Baghdad says there are
some within the Shia bloc who are concerned that a
growing challenge to Mr Jaafari would leave the
alliance divided and weak.
Iraq's political parties have been wrangling over
forming a new government since December's election.
Kurdish and Sunni Arab parties rejected the ruling
Shia-led bloc's nomination of Mr Jaafari as prime
minister and have threatened to boycott a government
unless he withdraws.
The delay in forming a government is thought to be
partly responsible for fuelling the increasing
sectarian violence which has struck since February's
bombing of a key Shia shrine in Samarra.
BBC
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