Iraq’s Defense – Interior Ministries won’t be assigned independent elements – MP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A leader in al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has stated on Monday that the defense and interior ministries in the new cabinet, scheduled to be formed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, would not be assigned for independent personalities, as previous media sources had expected. “All the personalities that shall receive the new ministerial posts will be candidates of political blocs and parties. Accordingly, I believe that the defense and interior ministries will not be assigned for independent personalities,” Jamal al-Battikh told IraqiNews.com news agency, adding that Maliki shall need at least one month to form the new cabinet. The Parliament’s 2nd Deputy Speaker, Aref Teifur, had told IraqiNews.com on Sunday that Maliki won’t be able to form the new government during the scheduled legal period, after his official assignment by the President. Teifur pointed out that the majority of the political blocs have internal problems, regarding the distribution of cabinet posts that make Maliki’s mission difficult. Maliki, after his official assignment by President Jalal Talabani, is to begin his consultations with political leaders to distribute the ministerial posts according to their “election rights.” “The dialogue among the political blocs to distribute the cabinet posts and the mechanism to distribute them is scheduled to start today (Monday),” Battikh said, adding that “the blocs had been waiting to receive the so-called ‘points map,’ upon which we shall recognize the number of seats in each bloc, but it was delayed till today.” SKH/SR 1