“We’re at the last phase to form new government” – Maliki

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq‘s prime minister and leader of the State of Law Alliance has said on Saturday that the consultations among the winning blocs in Iraq‘s 76h March nationwide elections have reached the “last” phase to form the new government. Maliki pointed out that the leaders of the political blocs would hold serious meetings over the forthcoming few days, stemming from the principle confirming “no exception for anybody.” Maliki’s statement followed a meeting held late Saturday night with Iraq‘s President Jalal Talabani and former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Reform Trend, Ibrahim al-Jaafari. He told a joint news conference with Jaafar after the meeting, attended by IraqiNews.com News Agency that, “the efforts exerted did not go in vain. Today we had been preparing consultations according to the principle “no exception for anybody.” He continued by pointing out that his meeting with Talabani and Jaafari “had been important and necessary, because we have reached the last phase in the consultations to form the new government, at a time when the Parliament’s session is getting close.” The forthcoming few days are expected to witness the expression of the main political coalitions to announce their final positions before the holding of the Parliament session, to convince al-Iraqiya Bloc, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to share in the government and receive the posts of the National Council for Strategic Polices and the Parliament Speaker. In addition, their attendance in the session, in order to avoid other alliances (the National Alliance and the Kurdistan Blocs Alliance) to head towards the formation of a majority government. Maliki also said, “We are striving to form a government uniting all blocs in order to push different components to push the political process forward,” adding that “meetings would be held day and night among leaders of the said political blocs during the forthcoming few days, in this respect.” For his part, Jaafari said “the meeting had carried a general evaluation for the political process, within the close date for the holding of the Parliament’s session.” Jaafari noted that “all those who attended the meeting have reaffirmed necessity to form a government of national unity.” SKH/SR 2