Sunday April 18, 2010
Al-Maliki pledges to make Iraq's Sunnis key players in next government
BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki vowed Saturday that Iraq's Sunnis would be major players in the next government, as he positioned himself as peacemaker and front-runner to lead the country in his first interview with a Western media outlet since bitterly fought elections.
The Shiite prime minister, who appeared confident and jovial during an hourlong interview at his palace office, also invited a Shiite bloc led by rival Ayad Allawi to join him in governing, despite an acrimonious post-election period that saw his supporters label the Iraqiya bloc a front for the late Saddam Hussein's Baath party.
Al-Maliki, whose enemies have labeled him an avowedly sectarian leader, insisted that he would bring all major religious and ethnic components into the next government.
"We rejected the concept of sectarianism and built the state based on nationalism," al-Maliki said. "For this reason, I make the invitation for the Iraqiya bloc to participate in the government."
Supporters of al-Maliki and Allawi, whose bloc is made up of Sunnis and secular Shiites, have engaged in a war of words since last month's elections, sparking fears among Iraqis that the country could again unravel on sectarian lines.
Although al-Maliki won the most votes of any politician in the elections, his State of Law alliance finished a narrow second to the Iraqiya slate in parliament seats. His confidence Saturday may have sprung from his belief that he is close to sealing a deal with the other main Shiite bloc to form a new government.
A spokesman for Iraqiya laughed Saturday night at al-Maliki's outreach.
"I can tell you it seems a funny offer. We are the ones who should be forming the government, not the other way around," said the spokesman, Maysoon Damaluji.
In the interview, al-Maliki emphasized that he wanted to reconcile Iraq's religious and ethnic communities, scarred by decades of war and Saddam's dictatorship. Al-Maliki made clear that, although the country had come a long way, Iraq had not yet overcome its communal tensions.
"We seek to end the sectarian or ethnic quotas," he said. "We must continue working to achieve this goal."
The prime minister portrayed himself as a referee among the different sects and ethnicities, still traumatized by the past under Saddam.
"The Shiites demand big things, the Sunnis demand huge things, and likewise the Kurds do," al-Maliki said. "No one should think they will get more than what they deserve in this country. Even the Shiites have to be convinced that just because you form the majority of people, this does not mean that you will rule the country alone."
Since the elections, al-Maliki's backers have alleged fraud and demanded a recount; Allawi has warned that any attempt to block him from forming the next government could spark chaos and violence within the country's Sunni Arab provinces. The political landscape has also been shaken by a string of bombings and killings in Baghdad.
Calling Allawi his "brother," al-Maliki urged his rival to refrain from provocative comments that hint at violence if he is not picked to head the next government.
"We do not use inflammatory dialogue whether against Ayad Allawi or his bloc, because they remain as political partners in this country. Also, they have to live up to their responsibility," al-Maliki said.
The prime minister said members of the rival groups had met, although the two leaders had yet to sit down. He said that key positions will go to Sunnis in the Iraqiya bloc if he leads the next government.
"The Iraqiya bloc has 75 or 74 from the Sunni component and they will get their entitlement in the parliament, ministries, vice presidency and deputy prime ministership," he said.
Al-Maliki pointed to a Supreme Court opinion at the end of March that authorized the biggest coalition assembled in parliament to form the government, not the bloc elected with the most seats. Al-Maliki made light of Iraqiya's claim of primacy.
"The happiness of the Iraqiya bloc was limited for only one week," he chuckled, referring to March 27, when the election results were announced.
Al-Maliki emphasized that even if his State of Law slate makes a partnership with the other Shiite-led coalition, the Iraqi National Alliance, he will keep trying to reach out to Iraq's other communities.
The prime minister expects a court ruling soon on whether ballots will be recounted manually in parts of Baghdad and northern Iraq, due to fraud allegations. However, al-Maliki made clear that he will accept the results, even if the judiciary does not order a manual recount.
"We will be committed to anything according to the law. This is a positive aspect. When we have a dispute, we resolve it by legal means and not by power or violence, or hindering security," al-Maliki said. He jokingly compared the Iraqi election to Florida in 2000 when George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore contested the results.
Despite his show of confidence, it is an open question if al-Maliki will be able to hold on as prime minister. His Shiite rivals, particularly cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, remain hostile to him, and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq is pushing its own candidates.
Although al-Maliki said he was ready to serve in any post, he made clear he believed there was a point to staying in his current job.
"I began the changes and reforms in political, security and economic matters," al-Maliki said. "The completion may require that the prime ministry remains as it is now."
Al-Maliki spoke with pride as someone who took on armed groups and helped stop his country's war in 2006 and 2007, even as detractors criticize him now for the same consolidation of power that helped pull Iraq back from the brink.
"Our accomplishments were genuine," he said. ". . . When the Shiites used to kill the Sunnis and the Sunnis killed the Shiites, this phenomenon ended because of the national reconciliation."
He answered critics who whisper he remains grounded in sectarianism, pointing to his 2008 crackdown on the militia loyal to al-Sadr. "I was forced . . . to confront the Shiites, in order to persuade the Sunnis that this country also belongs to them," al-Maliki remembered.
He recollected the darkest days during his first year in office, in 2006, when he was a new leader and had yet to establish himself as a force.
"The hardest time was when we were collecting the cadavers of people and beheaded bodies from our streets, when the number of bombings in Baghdad had reached 25 daily," al-Maliki said. "The situation at that time for Iraq was either to exist or not; to exist if we triumphed, or not exist if they triumphed."
Los Angeles Times dd ~ http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=69431
BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki vowed Saturday that Iraq's Sunnis would be major players in the next government, as he positioned himself as peacemaker and front-runner to lead the country in his first interview with a Western media outlet since bitterly fought elections.
The Shiite prime minister, who appeared confident and jovial during an hourlong interview at his palace office, also invited a Shiite bloc led by rival Ayad Allawi to join him in governing, despite an acrimonious post-election period that saw his supporters label the Iraqiya bloc a front for the late Saddam Hussein's Baath party.
Al-Maliki, whose enemies have labeled him an avowedly sectarian leader, insisted that he would bring all major religious and ethnic components into the next government.
"We rejected the concept of sectarianism and built the state based on nationalism," al-Maliki said. "For this reason, I make the invitation for the Iraqiya bloc to participate in the government."
Supporters of al-Maliki and Allawi, whose bloc is made up of Sunnis and secular Shiites, have engaged in a war of words since last month's elections, sparking fears among Iraqis that the country could again unravel on sectarian lines.
Although al-Maliki won the most votes of any politician in the elections, his State of Law alliance finished a narrow second to the Iraqiya slate in parliament seats. His confidence Saturday may have sprung from his belief that he is close to sealing a deal with the other main Shiite bloc to form a new government.
A spokesman for Iraqiya laughed Saturday night at al-Maliki's outreach.
"I can tell you it seems a funny offer. We are the ones who should be forming the government, not the other way around," said the spokesman, Maysoon Damaluji.
In the interview, al-Maliki emphasized that he wanted to reconcile Iraq's religious and ethnic communities, scarred by decades of war and Saddam's dictatorship. Al-Maliki made clear that, although the country had come a long way, Iraq had not yet overcome its communal tensions.
"We seek to end the sectarian or ethnic quotas," he said. "We must continue working to achieve this goal."
The prime minister portrayed himself as a referee among the different sects and ethnicities, still traumatized by the past under Saddam.
"The Shiites demand big things, the Sunnis demand huge things, and likewise the Kurds do," al-Maliki said. "No one should think they will get more than what they deserve in this country. Even the Shiites have to be convinced that just because you form the majority of people, this does not mean that you will rule the country alone."
Since the elections, al-Maliki's backers have alleged fraud and demanded a recount; Allawi has warned that any attempt to block him from forming the next government could spark chaos and violence within the country's Sunni Arab provinces. The political landscape has also been shaken by a string of bombings and killings in Baghdad.
Calling Allawi his "brother," al-Maliki urged his rival to refrain from provocative comments that hint at violence if he is not picked to head the next government.
"We do not use inflammatory dialogue whether against Ayad Allawi or his bloc, because they remain as political partners in this country. Also, they have to live up to their responsibility," al-Maliki said.
The prime minister said members of the rival groups had met, although the two leaders had yet to sit down. He said that key positions will go to Sunnis in the Iraqiya bloc if he leads the next government.
"The Iraqiya bloc has 75 or 74 from the Sunni component and they will get their entitlement in the parliament, ministries, vice presidency and deputy prime ministership," he said.
Al-Maliki pointed to a Supreme Court opinion at the end of March that authorized the biggest coalition assembled in parliament to form the government, not the bloc elected with the most seats. Al-Maliki made light of Iraqiya's claim of primacy.
"The happiness of the Iraqiya bloc was limited for only one week," he chuckled, referring to March 27, when the election results were announced.
Al-Maliki emphasized that even if his State of Law slate makes a partnership with the other Shiite-led coalition, the Iraqi National Alliance, he will keep trying to reach out to Iraq's other communities.
The prime minister expects a court ruling soon on whether ballots will be recounted manually in parts of Baghdad and northern Iraq, due to fraud allegations. However, al-Maliki made clear that he will accept the results, even if the judiciary does not order a manual recount.
"We will be committed to anything according to the law. This is a positive aspect. When we have a dispute, we resolve it by legal means and not by power or violence, or hindering security," al-Maliki said. He jokingly compared the Iraqi election to Florida in 2000 when George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore contested the results.
Despite his show of confidence, it is an open question if al-Maliki will be able to hold on as prime minister. His Shiite rivals, particularly cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, remain hostile to him, and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq is pushing its own candidates.
Although al-Maliki said he was ready to serve in any post, he made clear he believed there was a point to staying in his current job.
"I began the changes and reforms in political, security and economic matters," al-Maliki said. "The completion may require that the prime ministry remains as it is now."
Al-Maliki spoke with pride as someone who took on armed groups and helped stop his country's war in 2006 and 2007, even as detractors criticize him now for the same consolidation of power that helped pull Iraq back from the brink.
"Our accomplishments were genuine," he said. ". . . When the Shiites used to kill the Sunnis and the Sunnis killed the Shiites, this phenomenon ended because of the national reconciliation."
He answered critics who whisper he remains grounded in sectarianism, pointing to his 2008 crackdown on the militia loyal to al-Sadr. "I was forced . . . to confront the Shiites, in order to persuade the Sunnis that this country also belongs to them," al-Maliki remembered.
He recollected the darkest days during his first year in office, in 2006, when he was a new leader and had yet to establish himself as a force.
"The hardest time was when we were collecting the cadavers of people and beheaded bodies from our streets, when the number of bombings in Baghdad had reached 25 daily," al-Maliki said. "The situation at that time for Iraq was either to exist or not; to exist if we triumphed, or not exist if they triumphed."
Los Angeles Times dd ~ http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=69431
