iya Coalition confirms demand to move trial of Vice-President, Tareq al-Hashimy, to Kurdistan

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has reiterated its position, calling for the shiftingof the trial of its leading element and Vice-President, Tareq al-Hashimy, charged with “terrorist” operations by Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, to Kurdistan Region, where he moved to after his charge last week, according to al-Iraqiya statement on Saturday.The statement also rejected Prime Minister Hashimy’s decision to sack its other leading element, Saleh al-Mutlaq, from his post as DeputyPrime Minister, considering it as illegal.The 10-article statement stressed that “al-Iraqiya, stemming from its feeling of the significance of the political process and the national unity,expressed rejoice for the withdrawal of the American forces from Iraq, being an important step to restore its sovereignty.”The statement also “condemned the criminal and terrorist operations that pinpointed the Iraqi people, in all its components,” expressingits support, together with all its partners in fighting terrorism,” in a hint for the series of attacks that struck Baghdad on Thursday, killingand wounding dozens of people.”  As regards to the case of Vice-President, Tareq al-Hashimy, al-Iraqiya’s statement said: “despite our confidence that Vice-President,Tareq al-Hashimy, one of the symbols of the political process in Iraq, who had exerted huge sacrifices for it, is innocent, but we believeit is necessary for the Judiciary to move his case to Kurdistan Region, according to Article 56 of the Law.””Such step would secure carrying out the investigation, away from political pressures, especially after putting the confessions ofdefendants on the mass media, thing that stands counter to the law, because it would create a pressing publish opinion that wouldaffect the course of investigations,” the statement said, calling on “Partners in the Political Process to stop using the language ofblackmailing, through alleged dossiers, that only reflects political pressures.”Al-Iraqiya Coalition had presented a memorandum to the Parliament Speaker’s Commission last Wednesday, demanding thewithdrawal of trust from Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, in the background of the crisis of the issue of Hashimy’s arrest demand andMaliki’s other demand for the Parliament to withdraw trust from his Deputy Prime Minister, Saleh al-Mutlaq, the other leader in al-Iraqiya Coalition.SKH (ST)664