July 14, 2010 Minister urges U.S. to help Iraq form government
* Zebari sees vacuum getting worse without agreement
* U.S. should not pick and choose, but can 'facilitate'
* U.S. concerned about being regarded as interfering
WASHINGTON, Iraq's foreign minister appealed to the United States on Wednesday to help his nation's politicians form a government, saying their inability to do so has left a vacuum that could get worse.
Iraqi political parties have been deadlocked since an inconclusive March 7 election over which parties should form a governing coalition and who should serve as prime minister and president.
On Monday, politicians postponed for two weeks a session of parliament that should have picked the country's new president, missing a legal deadline and taking the country into uncharted constitutional waters.
During a visit to Washington that included talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told reporters the United States could help Iraqi politicians to break the impasse.
"We believe that there is a role for more engagement to help, to encourage, to facilitate -- not to pick and chose the next government or the next leader -- but really to play a greater role in the process," Zebari told reporters.
"Gone are those days when American officials used to interview officials, ministers, and so on. This is an Iraqi-led process, but we believe they can help," he added.
Zebari declined to spell out exactly what he wanted the United States to do. Asked if he had any ideas on the matter, he replied: "Maybe, but I can't tell you."
'THE NATIONAL INTEREST'
At a news conference with Zebari on Tuesday, Clinton urged Iraqi politicians "to put their personal interests behind the national interest" and said the Obama administration was ready to do anything it could to help.
After former President George W. Bush's 2003 invasion and his naming what amounted to a U.S. proconsul to administer Iraq, there is concern in the Obama administration about doing anything that may be viewed as interfering in Iraqi politics.
Under Iraq's constitution drawn up in the chaotic aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion, the new 325-seat parliament should have picked a new speaker and a new president before July 14.
The new president in turn should select a prime minister and ask the nominee to form a government.
But the election produced no outright winner and Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish groups have been locked in a prolonged tussle to form a coalition that could command a working majority.
"Really there hasn't been any tangible progress. So this process, the longer it goes without a government you will have more and more vacuum," Zebari said. "That's why, actually, time is of paramount importance.
While the outgoing government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is running the administration in a caretaker capacity, a sense of political vacuum has put the country on edge.
Sunni Islamist insurgents seeking to reignite the sectarian bloodshed that peaked in 2006-2007 have claimed responsibility for a string of major bombings since the vote, and dozens of Shi'ite pilgrims were killed last week in bomb attacks when insurgents targeted a religious festival in Baghdad.
The delay in forming a government occurred as the U.S. military prepares to end combat operations on Aug. 31 and cut its numbers to 50,000 from 77,000 now, ahead of a full withdrawal in 2011
* Zebari sees vacuum getting worse without agreement
* U.S. should not pick and choose, but can 'facilitate'
* U.S. concerned about being regarded as interfering
WASHINGTON, Iraq's foreign minister appealed to the United States on Wednesday to help his nation's politicians form a government, saying their inability to do so has left a vacuum that could get worse.
Iraqi political parties have been deadlocked since an inconclusive March 7 election over which parties should form a governing coalition and who should serve as prime minister and president.
On Monday, politicians postponed for two weeks a session of parliament that should have picked the country's new president, missing a legal deadline and taking the country into uncharted constitutional waters.
During a visit to Washington that included talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told reporters the United States could help Iraqi politicians to break the impasse.
"We believe that there is a role for more engagement to help, to encourage, to facilitate -- not to pick and chose the next government or the next leader -- but really to play a greater role in the process," Zebari told reporters.
"Gone are those days when American officials used to interview officials, ministers, and so on. This is an Iraqi-led process, but we believe they can help," he added.
Zebari declined to spell out exactly what he wanted the United States to do. Asked if he had any ideas on the matter, he replied: "Maybe, but I can't tell you."
'THE NATIONAL INTEREST'
At a news conference with Zebari on Tuesday, Clinton urged Iraqi politicians "to put their personal interests behind the national interest" and said the Obama administration was ready to do anything it could to help.
After former President George W. Bush's 2003 invasion and his naming what amounted to a U.S. proconsul to administer Iraq, there is concern in the Obama administration about doing anything that may be viewed as interfering in Iraqi politics.
Under Iraq's constitution drawn up in the chaotic aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion, the new 325-seat parliament should have picked a new speaker and a new president before July 14.
The new president in turn should select a prime minister and ask the nominee to form a government.
But the election produced no outright winner and Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish groups have been locked in a prolonged tussle to form a coalition that could command a working majority.
"Really there hasn't been any tangible progress. So this process, the longer it goes without a government you will have more and more vacuum," Zebari said. "That's why, actually, time is of paramount importance.
While the outgoing government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is running the administration in a caretaker capacity, a sense of political vacuum has put the country on edge.
Sunni Islamist insurgents seeking to reignite the sectarian bloodshed that peaked in 2006-2007 have claimed responsibility for a string of major bombings since the vote, and dozens of Shi'ite pilgrims were killed last week in bomb attacks when insurgents targeted a religious festival in Baghdad.
The delay in forming a government occurred as the U.S. military prepares to end combat operations on Aug. 31 and cut its numbers to 50,000 from 77,000 now, ahead of a full withdrawal in 2011
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