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Iraq factions announce alliances to form new government
[PRESSTV] Iraqi political factions, which did best in the country’s May parliamentary elections, announce separate alliances within the legislature, which they claim enables them to form the country’s new government.On Sunday, politicians following senior holy man Moqtada Sadr and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s lead said they had created an alliance that would give them a majority bloc at the Parliament. A rival grouping led by commander Hadi al-Amiri and former premier Nouri al-Maliki responded by saying it had formed its own alliance, asserting it featured the lion’s share of the seats at the legislature. The 329-seat legislature is to come together on Monday to elect a speaker and launch the government formation process. Sadr's Sairoon bloc came first in the polls, while the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance led by Amiri, and Abadi's Nasr finished second and third. A bloc led by Maliki ended in the fifth place. A recount was called after the polls due to allegations of electoral fraud. The procedure delayed the process of government formation by three months, but confirmed the primary results with little change. Iraq’s Muqtada Al-Sadr Forms Parliamentary Majority Bloc [Sputnik] After three years of war with Daesh and three months of a vote recount, Iraq can now form a new government and begin the process of rebuilding. Sixteen political groups in Iraq, including those of Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr and outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, reached an agreement Sunday to form the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament. This agreement, reached just before the first session of the Iraqi Parliament on Monday, gives Al-Sadr the exclusive right to form a government. Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, reportedly backed by the West, is also a part of the coalition. Al-Abadi is purportedly interested in extending his position into a second term, but as he is no longer the only candidate from the alliance, it is uncertain whether he will succeed. Iraq’s Maliki says will not run again for premier post [IraqiNews] Iraqi Vice President Nouri al Maliki stressed on Sunday that he would not run again for the post of prime minister. “I was serious when I announced four years ago that I will not run again for the post of prime minister. I am still committed to my attitude and I will not change it,” Al Ekhbariya TV channel quoted al Maliki as saying in a statement. Maliki stressed, in his statement, that he will “stand by any person who assumes this top post to help him improve the situation in Iraq and achieve national goals.” Maliki served as prime minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014. He is is assuming the posts of secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party and vice president of Iraq. Al-Maliki began his political career as a Shia dissident under Saddam Hussein’s regime in the late 1970s and rose to prominence after he fled a death sentence into exile for 24 years. During his time abroad, he became a senior leader of the Islamic Dawa Party, coordinated the activities of anti-Saddam guerrillas and built relationships with Iranian and Syrian officials whose help he sought in overthrowing Saddam. Maliki worked closely with United States and coalition forces in Iraq following their departure by the end of 2011. Abadi says to attend parliament session Monday as premier, election winner [IraqiNews] Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Sunday that he will attend the first parliamentary session scheduled on Monday morning as a premier and election winner after his alliance came third in the general elections, held in May. Dijlah TV channel quoted Abadi as telling reporters that “the Victory alliance will be present at the parliament tomorrow, Monday. And I will be also there as a prime minister and a winner in the elections.” Abadi said, however, that he will not take oath at the parliament tomorrow because that will prevent him from assuming his executive tasks as a prime minister. Abadi has been serving as a prime minister of Iraq since September 2014. In the May 12 parliamentary polls, Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr’s Sairoon coalition won 54 parliamentary seats, followed by an al-Hashd al-Shaabi-linked coalition (47 seats) and Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s Victory bloc (42 seats). Last week, Iraqi President Fuad Masum issued a decree, ordering the newly-elected parliament to convene Monday under the oldest lawmaker, a move which precedes the election of the new president and formation of the new cabinet. Under the Iraqi constitution, 15 days after final election results are endorsed by the Federal Supreme Court, the new parliament must hold its first session during which the speaker will be chosen. A new president will be elected within three days of the legislature convening and the president will then ask the largest parliamentary bloc to form a cabinet. Iraq’s president is elected by the parliament by a two-thirds majority and is limited to two four-year terms The speaker of the Iraqi parliament should be a Sunni Arab, the prime minister a Shiite, and the president a Kurd. Posted by: Fred 2018-09-03 |
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