BAGHDAD, Oct 2 (NNN-KUNA) — Iraq’s National Alliance officially declared on Friday nomination of the incumbent premier, Nouri Al-Maliki, for a new term as the head of the executive authority, apparently removing a major hurdle on the rugged path of forming a new government for the crises-haggard nation.
Faleh Fayyad, a leader of the NA, reading an official statement following a “decisive” meeting of the alliance, said the nomination of Al-Maliki was the result of a consensus among the various factions of the coalition, adding that the bloc charged a team with holding negotiations with the other political parties to press for forming the new government.
The conference was attended by leading members of Al-Daawa Party, headed by Al-Maliki, Oil Minister Hussein Al-Shehrestani, the representative of the Independents’ Bloc, Nassar Al-Rabiee of the Sadrist movement, leaders of Al-Islah party, Secretary General of Bader organization Hadi Al-Ameri. Major absentees were the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) and Al-Fadheelah party. The latter reportedly joined the alliance with the Iraqiya List of Iyyad Allawi.
Hassan Al-Suneid, a leading member of the State of Law Coalition, told KUNA that the alliance would discuss the candidacy of Al-Maliki as the head of the next government with the other political groups.
Aziz Al-Ukaili, a leader of the ISCI, said the nomination of Al-Maliki came as a fruit of an understanding between Al-Daawa and the Sadrists, and that ISCI was not involved in the deal.
Affirming disarrays in the alliance ranks, Hassan Al-Fatlawi, an MP of Al-Fadeelah said in remarks to KUNA the representatives of the party withdrew from today’s meeting and that it would not take part in a government to be chaired by Al-Maliki. He added that this stance was in reaction to “external intervention” that pushed for Al-Maliki’s nomination.
The alliance has recently declared the nomination of Adel Abdulmahdi of ISCI for the senior post.
Meanwhile, Iraqiya List, the coalition headed by Al-Maliki’s major foe, Iyyad Allawi, declared rejection of the nomination of the incumbent premier. Haidar Al-Mullah, the official spokesman of the coalition, said in remarks to KUNA that the bloc would hold a meeting and declare an official stance in 24 hours.
Iraq has been without a government since the March 7 elections that produced no clear winner of the polls.
The announcement by the National Alliance (NA), which remains short of an absolute majority in the 325-member Council of Representatives, is the first sign of hope in months of internal bickering over the formation of a new executive body.
Maliki’s alliance finished second in the March polls, two seats behind the Iraqiya bloc of ex-premier Allawi, but neither of them had the 163 seats needed to command a majority and form a government on its own.
In May, Maliki joined forces with the Iraqi National Alliance, parliament’s third-biggest group, to form the National Alliance. — NNN-BERNAMA