“PM Maliki’s support by political forces to accelerate govt. formation,” -Source

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The official spokesman for the Shiite al-Fadhila (Virtue) Party, Bassim Sharif, has said on Monday that the announcement of the Center Alliance, and the previous announcement by other political blocs, in support of extending Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki’s second premiership period, shall “accelerate the formation of the new government, confirming that the Party’s Secretary-General, Hashim al-Hashimi, is representing his bloc in the Arbil Summit of Iraqi political blocs, scheduled to convene here today. “The decision of the Center Alliance was expected, because we had never heard from any of its members to stand against a government, led by Nouri al-Maliki,” Sharif said, adding that “the preliminary meetings for Barzani’s initiative had reflected the will of all political blocs to march forward towards the formation of a national-partnership government, and we hadn’t noticed any rejecting positions towards the government.” Kurdistan President, Massoud Bazani, had launched an initiative on Sept. 16, 2010, calling for the formation of an 8-12-member committee, to represent different political blocs. This committee would start talks aimed at settling the current suspended differences, discuss the formation of a national-partnership government, as well as the settling of the issue of the three leading Iraqi State presidencies. SKH/SR 1