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grodton Nov 10, 2010 7:28pm
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Deal to form new government
Deal to form new government
November 10, 2010
Iraqi leaders reach deal to form new government; Maliki to retain power
BAGHDAD - Iraq's political leaders have reached a deal on forming a new government that will break the political stalemate that has plagued the country for eight months and give Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki a second term as Iraq's leader.
Faced with little choice if he hoped to preserve his political bloc, secular Shiite Ayad Allawi, the head of the largely Sunni-backed bloc of Iraqiya, begrudgingly agreed to support Maliki's bid for Iraq's top job, despite no real concessions from the Shiite leader to share power. The decision seems to be a defeat to a plan the United States had been pushing for a power-sharing arrangement between Allawi, whose group won the plurality in Iraq's parliament, and Maliki.
"There was too much pressure from our own political groups. Unfortunately a deal was made, and now we have to concentrate on the ministries," said a leading member of parliament from the Iraqiya bloc. "We didn't want Iraqiya to split, and our negotiating team failed."
Legislators are expected to meet Thursday afternoon for only the second time since the inconclusive March 7 election. Under the deal reached Wednesday, the parliament is expected to appoint a speaker from Iraqiya, then name the current Kurdish president, Jalal Talabani, as president. He, in turn, will name Maliki as prime minister. Maliki will then have to put together a cabinet that a simple majority in Iraq's parliament will have to approve.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/10/AR2010111005456.html