clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Iraq's Al-Maliki calls for 'partnership government' instead of 'majority government'

May 6, 2014 at 3:08 pm

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is reportedly negotiating to form a “partnership government” instead of the “majority government” he has been campaigning for to face rivals who want to ensure that he does not return for a third term .

Media Adviser to Maliki, Ali al-Moussawi, told Al-Hayat newspaper that the State of Law Coalition led by Maliki will try to form a “majority government”; but if it fails it will consider a “partnership government” as last resort.

Moussawi said the Coalition has been engaged in dialogue and consultations to form a government, but will only begin serious negotiations when the elections’ results are announced.

Moussawi denied having any alternative candidate to substitute Maliki within his electoral list in case the remaining blocks insist on to preventing his return to a third term, saying “It is too early to talk on this matter.”

This is the first time Maliki hints at forming a “partnership government” between the winning forces, after he had devoted his campaign to call for a “majority government” claiming that partnerships and quotas do not build a country.

Moussawi denied local and Arab media reports claiming Maliki visited Iran on Friday to discuss arrangement to form his new government, saying: “I would like to refute this news altogether. They are completely untrue; the Prime Minister is present in Baghdad and did not leave it, not to Iran or to any other country”.

The Iraqi National List led by Parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi revealed talks to form quadripartite alliance which would include Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan, Al-Ahrar bloc and the Citizens bloc to secure a majority in the next parliament and prevent Maliki from returning to a third term .

Khalid al-Alwani of the United Bloc told Al-Hayat newspaper that his bloc “has been engaged in dialogue with contacts in the Kurdish movements, the Sadr movement and National Iraqi Alliance led by Sayyed Ammar al-Hakim to form a four-party alliance.”

Alwani added: “But we are afraid of foreign intervention, especially from Iran, and we have information that a delegation headed by Ibrahim al-Jaafari visited Tehran to discuss installing Al-Maliki to a third term.”

Meanwhile, Presidency of Kurdistan region announced that: “any presidential candidate must be approved by the Parliament of Kurdistan.”

The statement comes after news revealed that the Patriotic Union led by Jalal Talabani of Kurdistan will nominate the governor of Kirkuk NajmulDin Karim to the post.