Al-Iraqiya Alliance to resume dialogue with Iraqi National Alliance to form new govt:

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Al-Iraqiya Alliance, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has announced on Tuesday its intention to resume dialogue with the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), led by Shiite Cleric Ammar al-Hakim, to form the long-awaited Iraqi government, according to al-Iraqiya’s Adviser Hani Ashour. “The INA, considered the closest political force to al-Iraqiya Alliance due to their mutual understanding towards the formation of the next government and the building of the State, has not received any draft resolution by the INA as a starting point for the formation of a government of national partnerships,” Ashur told a news conference, admitting the existence of many differences between both sides. Al-Iraqiya’s adviser said his Alliance “intends to continue its dialogue with both sides,” calling on the INA to present its draft-resolution to form the new government, to be discussed between both sides. The Iraqi political arena is witnessing deep differences among the main blocs that won Iraq’s nationwide elections that took place last March. The disputes center around the background of their competition to win the post of the new prime minister and the formation of the forthcoming government, especially between the two main blocs that won the largest number of votes, Al-Iraqiya, led by Allawi, and the State of Law, led by outgoing Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki. Neither alliance won the parliamentary majority to form the new government alone. A number of sessions of the new parliament have been postponed, which has been considered as “violation of the necessary period to elect a new parliament speaker and a new President.” The March 7th elections had given Allawi’s Al-Iraqiya Alliance 91 seats, the largest number of seats in the new 325-seat parliament, followed with Maliki’s State of Law – 89 seats, Ammar Al-Hakim’s INA – 70 seats, and the Kurdistan Coalition – 57 seats. SKH (S)/SR 1