August 23, 2010Report: Sadr and Allawi Close to Govt Deal
Maliki Spokesman Slams 'Foreign Influence'
The prospect of an alliance between the Iraqiya and Iraqi National Alliance (INA) blocs and the formation of a coalition government could be closer than anyone realized, as a top Iraqiya MP reported today that the Sadr bloc, currently in charge of the INA, has acquiesced and given their approval for Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi as the next prime minister.
Such proclamations must always be taken with a grain of salt, particularly since the Sadr bloc hasn’t commented on the report yet. But independent reports suggesting that Syria has been brokering the talks are also emerging from all sides, suggesting that Iraq’s Sunni neighbor could be pushing the alliance in the wake of a failed US attempt to bring Iraqiya together with the State of Law bloc.
For their part State of Law has condemned the “foreign influence” behind this apparent new alliance, insisting that any government deals agreed to in Syria would be invalid. State of Law’s leader, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, is a favorite candidate of both the US and Iran, but has clashed openly with Syria, accusing them of being in league with al-Qaeda.
Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc won a narrow election victory over Maliki, but both sides have needed the endorsement of the INA to form any government. Though it was once considered all but a done deal that Maliki had gained the INA’s support, the two sides have drifted apart in recent weeks.
http://news.antiwar.com/2010/08/23/report-sadr-and-allawi-close-to-govt-deal/
___
Sadrists support Allawi for PM post
August 23, 2010
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq – A legislator from al-Iraqiya bloc, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, announced Monday that the Sadrist Movement is supporting Allawi for the post of prime minister in the next Iraqi government.
“The movement of Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr expressed their approval to nominate Allawi for the prime minister post and to form a new government, while our negotiations with the Movement have reached advanced phases and their results have been positive and fruitful,” Ziyad al-Darb told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Darb said that al-Iraqiya’s contacts with al-Fadila Party, led by its Secretary-General Hashim al-Hashimi, and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) of Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakim “are expected to be settled within one week from now”.
The Iraqi political arena is witnessing continuous differences in viewpoints among the main blocs that won the nationwide March 2010 elections, particularly regarding their competition to win the new prime minister’s post and the formation of the forthcoming government.
The differences are focused mainly between the largest two blocs: al-Iraqiya and the State of Law. None of the two blocs, however, has obtained the parliamentary majority enough to solely form the new government.
The new parliament’s sessions have been postponed several times in “violation of the constitutional period allowed in this respect to elect a new parliament speaker, two deputies and a new president.”
With regards to the nomination of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for a second term in office, Darb said, “The new U.S. ambassador, James Jeffrey, has a new vision that differs from his predecessor, Christopher Hill, towards the political process in Iraq. He wishes to see the unity of al-Iraqiya with the State of Law into one coalition to form the new government, whoever the prime minister might be.”
Speaking about the intention of the assignment of the new prime minister post for the Shiites and no other religious group, Darb replied “the Constitution had not included a condition that the prime minister post be assigned for a certain group. It has reiterated that the winning list of the largest number of votes, in this case being al-Iraqiya, is to form the new government”.
Regarding the situation of the National Alliance between the State of Law and the Iraqi National Alliance, Darb said “the Alliance had been fragile and had failed to present a certain candidate for the new prime minister post”.
A source from the SIIC had told Aswat al-Iraq on Friday that the Sadr Movement had been exerting efforts for naming Allawi to hold the new prime minister post, if both alliances would agree on his nomination.
SKH (R)/SR/AmR
