Deputy PM announces Leaders conference in Arbil Monday

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Kurdish Negotiating Delegation, Roz Nouri Shawes, has announced on Sunday the end of the series of meetings among the majority of political blocs, held in Baghdad, to discuss the preliminary agreements to settle the differences among different blocs, in prelude to the Arabil meeting, which he said would be convened next Monday. “Representatives of the political blocs have reached advanced phases on the agreement about the suspended issues between Kurdistan Region and the Central Government,” Shawes told a news conference after the end of the meeting, reiterating “agreement on written guarantees to implement the programs agreed upon.” Shawes also said that the meetings have discussed “commitment towards the constitution and agreement on the system of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, as well as the Parliament’s system and other suspended issues, most significant of which is the national compromise and the Questioning & Justice Committee.” “Al-Iraqiya has clearly participated in the preparatory action for the joint meetings and committees,” he said, expressing non-expectation that al-Iraqiya bloc would not attend Arbil meetings. He also said that “the work of the committees had ended and the forthcoming meeting would be held next Monday to discuss the three leading State Positions (Presidency, Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker).” The President of Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani, had launched an initiative to settle the current political crisis on Sept. 16, 2010, including the formation of an 8-12-member committee, representing the representatives of the political blocs to start talks among them to settle the suspended differences and discuss the issue of forming a national-partnership government, as well as the settlement of the issue of the Three leading State Positions. Representatives of the winning parliamentary blocs havve held several discussions at the residence of the Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and the Chairman of the Kurdish Negotiating Delegation, Roz Nouri Shawes in Baghdad to agree on the main points and define the the schedule of the conference expected to be held in Arbil, expected to be attended by leaders of all main blocs, to achieve final agreements. SKH/SR 1