Iraq's Leaders Seek Way Out of Deadlock on Govt.
March 30, 2005

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's quarrelsome politicians went back to the drawing board Wednesday to try and form a government after failing even to appoint a speaker for a parliament that was elected fully two months ago.

Despite public assurances of progress, the failure to put a government in place showed the difficulty of forging political agreement in a country divided along ethnic and sectarian lines.

Some politicians are now talking of several more weeks before a cabinet may be named, leaving government in limbo at time when economic reconstruction and the struggle against insurgents are pressing priorities.

Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who walked out of a chaotic and inconclusive second sitting of the National Assembly Tuesday, remains in a strong position, nine months after being appointed under the U.S.-led occupation authorities.

The interim constitution, drawn up under U.S. occupation with U.N. assistance, requires a two-thirds majority in the 275-member parliament to name a three-strong presidential council, which will in turn appoint a prime minister.

This means that in order to form a government the mostly Shi'ite bloc strongly influenced by Islamists which won a narrow majority in the assembly must reach a deal with the main Kurdish coalition, which won 75 seats in the Jan. 30 election.

The Shi'ites and Kurds also have to try to accommodate Sunni Arabs, a minority that dominated Iraq under Saddam Hussein but has been left with little representation after most of them stayed away from the polls through intimidation or anger.

There are only 17 Sunni Arabs in parliament. If Sunnis feel marginalized, however, support for the mostly Sunni insurgency against U.S. and new Iraqi forces could grow. Sunnis could also thwart ratification of a constitution, which is due to be put to a referendum toward the end of the year and will require support in 16 of Iraq's 18 provinces.

After two months of talks, a joint declaration by the Shi'ite and Kurdish blocs on how to deal with contentious issues such as the status of the ethnically mixed northern oilfield city of Kirkuk has yet to be formally signed.

DIVISIONS

The two sides have also failed to agree on power sharing, and Sunni Arab lawmakers are furious that the Shi'ites and Kurds could end up with 22 out of 30 ministerial posts.

Many Sunni Arabs are annoyed that the Kurds would wield far more power than them, as a result of the failure of most Sunni Arabs to vote. Kurds turned out in large numbers. Both groups account for something like a fifth of the population.

To improve their negotiating position, most Sunni lawmakers, including interim President Ghazi al-Yawar, have allied with the 40-strong bloc of Prime Minister Allawi, a secular Shi'ite whose chances of retaining power in a new government are increasing the longer the Kurdish and Shi'ite blocs fail to agree.

The Sunni Arabs had wanted to retain the presidency but the Shi'ites and Kurds have agreed it should go to Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani. Yawar has declined the position of parliament speaker and there is no agreement on an alternative.

Now Sunni lawmakers say they want Adnan al-Janabi, a Sunni member of Allawi's bloc, as speaker. They have rejected an alternative Sunni candidate proposed by the Shi'ite alliance.

"The Kurds and Shi'ites cannot force a candidate upon us. They are paying the price of ignoring Allawi," said Sunni member of parliament Mishan al-Jibouri.

Although the Shi'ites and Kurds say they want a Sunni speaker to help provide balance, pressure is building within their own blocs to abandon attempts to reach a consensus and vote on a speaker by the next parliament session Sunday.

So far, the Kurds and Shi'ite leaders say they are intent on finding a Sunni Arab acceptable to all to fill the position, which will play a key role in overseeing the writing of a new constitution over the next few months.

Talks are also under way to see if Allawi's bloc will join a national unity government.

"Allawi played this brilliantly and we messed up," an official in one of the Shi'ite alliance parties said.

"Expect limbo for some time."

Source Link: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=625587&page=1