Allawi says talks key to Iraq’s stability

NAJAF / IraqiNews.com: Head of the Iraqi National List, Iyad Allawi, on Wednesday said that political talks are the key to Iraq’s stability. “Political blocs should talk as it is the main key to Iraq’s stability,” Allawi said at a press conference in Najaf after a meeting with top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani. “Until now there are no alliances within new frames,” he added. Allawi had arrived in Najaf earlier and met with Sistani. He attributed the delay in electing speaker of Iraq’s parliament to the “imbalance of the political process in the country.” Five candidates are vying over the speaker post: Iyad al-Samarraie of the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP), independent lawmaker Wathab al-Dulaimi, Iraqi National Dialogue Council (INDC) Khalil Jaddou, Abad Motlak al-Juburi of the Independent Arab Bloc and independent legislator Hussein al-Falluji. The Iraqi parliament is still without a speaker since former speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani’s resignation was accepted in an extraordinary session held on December 23, 2008 after a squabble between him and members of the security & defense and legal committees and some words he said which were considered “insulting.” He called for benefiting from lessons and mistakes that happened during the recent provincial council elections. SH (S) 1