Al-Iraqiya threatens no confidence vote

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Al-Iraqiya political bloc threatened today to call for a vote of no confidence on the government and starting early election if national partnership is not achieved, pointing out that the bloc’s main differences are with the Premier Nouri al-Maliki, not the National Alliance, al-Iraqiya’s spokeswoman said.  MP Maysoun al-Damalouji told IraqiNews.com that “in case all means fail in achieving national partnership, the bloc will be obliged to withdraw confidence from the present government.”  She added that the National Alliance, represented by Ibraheem Al-Jaffari, stressed the importance of implementing Arbil agreement and expressed his concern for not having security ministries till the present time.  “Our differences are with Premier Maliki. We want guaranteeing the safety of Iraq and achieving democracy and the governmental institutions away from unilateralism,” she added.  On 20 June, 2011, Iraqi political entities held their first general meeting at President Jalal Talabani residence and the second on 9 July instant which resulted in forming a committee from the political entities to follow up Arbil agreement and solving pending problems.  These problems are concentrated between the Iraqiyah and National Alliance blocs on the terms of Arbil agreement, including the draft law of the Higher Strategic Policies Council and the mechanism of choosing its president. RM (TI)/SR 499