Tuesday, September 7th 2010
Allawi's Al-Iraqiya challenges National Coalition’s legitimacy
Baghdad, A leader in the Al-Iraqiya List led by Ayad Allawi described the National coalition (NC) resulting from the merger of the Iraqi National Alliance and the State of Law coalition (SLC) as "illegal" and will withdraw from the political process if SLC leader Nouri al-Maliki becomes the Prime Minister.
Fattah al-Sheikh told AKnews "The NC has no name or number in the High Commission and has is no specific president. All of these reasons withdraw its legitimacy so that it cannot be a recognized alliance.”
Sheikh said that the NC represents Iraqi sectarianism whereas al-Iraqiya represents Iraqi nationalism and a stumbling block for “any sectarian project or any foreign power that is trying to change the Iraqi people’s will from the inside”.
The Al-Iraqiya List led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, announced that it will not participate in any new Iraqi government that does not recognize the constitutional right of the list to form the next government as clear winners in the March 7 elections, accusing at the same time the SLC and the INA of delaying the formation of the government in order to implement regional agendas.
Al-Iraqiya, led by former PM Ayad Allawi came first in the March elections by securing 91 seats. The State of Law Coalition (SLC) led by Maliki ended up second with 89 seats. The INA came third with 70 seats
In late March, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court ruled that the bloc that has the highest number of seats when parliament convenes will be entitled to form a government and not the party that won the highest number of seats in the election.
The court’s decision meant al-Iraqiya was not automatically allowed to form the next government. This decision paved the way for political maneuvering by the different blocs and the emergence of larger coalitions.
The INA and SLC, both Shia-dominated groups, formed a super bloc in May known as the National Coalition (NC) in order to gain enough seats in the 325 seat parliament to form the next government.
Six months after the general elections in Iraq, political leaders have been unable to come to any agreements over the formation of the next government.
The principal stumbling block has been the dispute over the post of prime minister for which neither Maliki nor Allawi is willing to relinquish his claim.
