Mashhadani says neighbors interfere in Iraq’s political process

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Independent National Party leader Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said on Saturday that the regional fuss and the incessant interferences in the political process are playing a crucial role in the shaping of the plan of election alliances and coalitions. “The regional hubbub coming from Iraq ’s Arab and Islamic neighboring countries have a negative impact on the shape of election alliances. There are foreign pressures practiced in order to draw a shape of alliances and consequently dominate the forthcoming parliament,” Mashhadani was quoted in a release by his office as received by Iraqi News. “We have to admit there are flagrant interferences by the majority of countries neighboring Iraq with the aim of creating a large parliamentary bloc corresponding to the ambitions of these countries and the result would only be brining Iraq back to square one,” he said. Mashhadani called on Iraqis to “verify the origins of alliances and coalitions and sieve positions by political parties”. Mashhadani was the speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives (parliament). He was elected to the Council as part of the Sunni Arab-led Iraqi Accord Front (IAF) list. On December 17, 2008 he announced that he would resign over the chaos that had erupted in parliament among legislators over whether Muntadhar al-Zaidi , the journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush at a December 14 press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki , should be freed from jail. The Iraqi Parliament accepte d his resignation on December 23. AmR (S)/SR 1