November 27, 2010Maliki nominates al-Shahristani as deputy prime minister
Baghdad, A State of Law Coalition (SLC) member reported today that the bloc’s leader and Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki nominated on Friday the former Oil Minister and Independents List leader, Hussain al Shahristani, as deputy PM.
Haidar al-Yasiri told AKnews that Mr. Maliki appointed Shahristani on the strength of his strong track record in both the Oil and Electricity ministries.
Yasiri said that Shahristani accepted the post on the condition that he is granted the legislative power to monitor the performance of the oil and electricity ministries.
Talks between Maliki and the Independents List are ongoing concerning the extent of the post’s authority, Yasiri explained, to “make it an important post in addressing the country’s energy crisis.”
Dr Hussain al-Shahristani, 68, a Shia Muslim nuclear scientist, was imprisoned and tortured at Abu Ghraib prison for 11 years under Saddam Hussein for alleged “religious activities”.
Dr. Shahristani further incurred the former dictator’s wrath by refusing to help build a nuclear weapon for the country.
After a dramatic escape from prison in 1990, the former Oil minister fled to Kirkuk and participated in the Kurdish uprising.
He was then smuggled into Iran on the back of a truck where he and his Canadian wife Bernice settled in Tehran and established an Iraqi refugee aid foundation.
In the transitional government set up following the 2003 US-led invasion, Shahristani was appointed deputy speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly.
He was twice considered for the post of Prime Minister before being appointed oil minister in May 2006.
Following President Talabani’s official nomination of Nouri al-Maliki to the post of Prime Minister on Thursday, the latter must form a government within the constitutionally decreed 30 day period.
The political blocs are currently studying a consensus mechanism to ensure a fair distribution of the sovereign and ministerial posts.
http://articlesofinterest-kelley.blogspot.com/2010/10/not-bad-not-bad-at-all-iraq-may-get-42.html
