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Shi'ites seen nominating Abdul Mahdi as Iraq PM
The United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) is likely to name Adel Abdul Mahdi as its candidate for the top job in government in talks on Saturday after struggling to agree on someone for weeks. "Abdul Mahdi is the favoured candidate. We will meet this morning to decide," said the alliance official.As the party with the biggest bloc in parliament after winning 128 of the 275 seats, the alliance will be asked by the next president to name a prime minister, to be approved by a simple parliamentary majority, under the Iraqi constitution. Abdul Mahdi, a former finance minister, is a top official in the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a group which was exiled in Iran and is now headed by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, seen as the most powerful man in the alliance. The talks, which were scheduled for 1000 (0700 GMT), were delayed because the group led by radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the alliance did not arrive, alliance officials said. Posted by: Fred 2006-02-12 |
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