Item interpretation complicated govt. formation – politician

BAGHDAD /Iraqi News A leading member of Iyad Allawi’s al-Iraqiya bloc said that the federal court’s recent interpretation regarding the constitutional phrase of “the largest bloc” has complicated the formation of a new government. “The al-Iraqiya bloc has refuted that decision with constitutional and legal items proving the bloc’s right to form a new government in accordance with the recent legislative election results,” Jamal al-Bateekh said in an interview with Asharq al-Awsat newspaper published today (April 3). Iraq’s federal court had offered an interpretation regarding Article 76 of the Iraqi constitution, saying that the “largest parliamentary bloc” would form a government. Iraq’s March 7 parliamentary election results showed former premier Iyad Allawi’s al-Iraqiya bloc winning 91 seats, incumbent premier Nouri al-Maliki’s Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) 89 seats, Ammar al-Hakeem’s Iraqi National Alliance (INA) 70 seats and the Kurdistan Alliance (KA) 43 seats out of a total 325 seats in parliament. AmR (P) 2