Iraq’s PM, leaders of political blocs, behind delay of naming security ministers, MP charges

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A legislature from al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by its leader, Iyad Allawi, on Sunday charged Iraq‘s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Malilki and leaders of political blocs with having been behind the delay of naming the candidates for the security cabinet posts, i.e. the Interior, Defense and National Security Ministers. “The loyalty for the security ministries must be for Iraq and its public interests, and not the personal and narrow-party interests, as well as their nomination must stem from their integrity and high efficiency in carrying out their duty,” Hamid al-Mutlaq told IraqiNews.com News Agency, charging “Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki and the leaders of political blocs, with being responsible for the delay of naming the security ministers.” He expected that “Maliki and the leaders of different political blocs would meet to nominate their candidates for the said posts, in order to select the best candidates,” adding that the “settlement of the issue of the security ministers can’t be settled in one Parliament session, due to the sensitivity of this issue and its impacts on all aspects of life.” Noteworthy is that differences have reigned over the past few weeks on the candidates for the security posts that are still vacant, especially the Interior and Defense Ministers’ posts, the first being the share of the National Coalition, led by Maliki and the second by al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by Allawi, with each party rejecting the candidate of the other. SKH(PT)/SR 667