Al-Nejefi: negotiations with Ninewa Fraternal list postponed

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The leader of al-Hadbaa List, Osama al-Nejefi, on Tuesday said that negotiations with the Ninewa Fraternal list have been postponed to an unknown date. “The negotiations were postponed to an unknown date to wait for the Ninewa Fraternal list’s response on the demands presented by al-Hadbaa list as a condition to give it some key positions in the province,” al-Nejefi told IraqiNews.com news agency. Tension has escalated between al-Hadbaa and Ninewa Fraternal lists after the first announced forming the Ninewa provincial council, while the Kurdish list announced their withdrawal from the council in protest of the move. On April 12, al-Hadbaa List distributed all key positions in Ninewa’s provincial council among its representatives, who secured 25 votes. The final results of the Ninewa provincial council elections, held on January 31, 2009, saw al-Hadbaa list winning 19 seats, followed by the Ninewa Fraternity list with 12 seats and the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) of Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi three seats as well as one seat for each of the Christians, the Shabaks and Yazidis. SH (P)/SR 1