Allawi to arrive in Arbil today – source

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: Head of the al-Iraqiya List, Iyad Allawi, will arrive in Arbil today to discuss with President Massoud Barzani the formation of the new government, a presidential source said. “A delegation of al-Iraqiya List, led by Allawi, is expected in Arbil on Monday (Oct. 25) to discuss with President Barzani the formation of the new government,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. Barzani had offered on Sept. 16 an initiative envisaging the formation of a commission composed of eight to 12 members representing all political blocs to negotiate means to settle outstanding issues and form a national partnership government as well as agree on plenary meetings by Iraqi leaders to settle the issue of the three top posts in the state – the president, prime minister and parliament speaker. Iraq’s political arena is witnessing incessant differences since the announcement of the March 7 legislative elections, in which former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s al-Iraqiya garnered 91 seats, followed by its archrival incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Dawlat al-Qanoon (State of Law) with 89 seats. The State of Law clenched an alliance with other blocs, notably the al-Ahrar (Liberals) bloc of the Sadrist Movement, which won 40 seats, so as to make the largest parliamentary bloc. The move is vehemently objected by al-Iraqiya on the grounds that it had won the largest number of seats in the parliamentary elections and accordingly entitled to form a government. SH (S)/SR 1