Al-Maliki discusses new government with Sadrist

Baghdad / IraqiNews.com: The out going Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday received a delegation from al-Sadr Movement and discussed the possibilities of forming the new Iraqi Government. “The delegation, which consisted of the Head of the political bureau for the al-Sadr Movement Karrar al-Khafaji, Nassar al-Rubaee, Qusai Abdulwahab, and Abdulsatar al-Biatti, have met with al-Maliki and discussed the possibilities of forming a new government and the ongoing dialogues between the State of Law Alliance, and the Iraqi National Coalition,” said a statement issued by al-Maliki’s office and received by IraqiNews.com. The meeting also discussed the cooperation and coordination between both the Islamic Dawa Party and al-Sadr Movement within the political process frame and the formation of the new Iraqi government. In a joint press conference that was held after the meeting, al-Maliki said that the two sides “exchanged views within the ongoing efforts to form the government, as well as the bilateral relation between both the Islamic Dawa Party and al-Sadr Movement,” because they both belong to the same school, according to his description. “We need to revise and overcome all the crises that affect the relations between both parties, as well as strengthening the mutual partnership in order to rebuild the new Iraq, and also to demonstrate the ability of the oppressed people to live and work to rebuild the country,’ al-Maliki noted. In a question asked about the violence that raised sectarian strife in Sadr City (east of Baghdad), al-Maliki said, “When partners get close, both the al-Qaeda and al-Baath Party start sectarian violence, and when we succeeded in killing al-Qaeda leader Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, we found reports confirming their efforts to increase sectarian strife, and other reports indicating that as long as al-Maliki is in power it will be difficult to raise it.” He also praised the Sadrists for refusing to get motivated by the attempts of killing their Sunni brothers as well as the plans of both al-Qaeda and al-Baath Party to inflame sectarian strife.” For his part, Qusay Abdulwahab said that “the meeting of today has discussed the dialogues between the Sadr Movement and other political blocs to form the new government by the two alliances.” He added that “the meeting with al-Maliki, as the head of State of Law Coalition has discussed the candidates for the post of prime Minister, without accepting or rejecting to any of these candidates.” “These meetings between al-Sadr Movement and the Islamic Dawa Party are still going on, because both parties belong to the same roots, and the relation between them will not be affected by the political changes, and this relation has to be developed, and the Sadr School is considered important in the political reconstruction of the country,” Abdulwahab Said. NH(S)/SR 1