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April 21, 2005
Iraq govt seen delayed; violence hits Baghdad
Topics:In a story that is very much related to the previous post on the crash of a Skylink Aviation helicopter crash near Baghdad, last-minute disagreements continue to derail Iraq's hopes of unveiling a government on Thursday, now nearly three months after elections. Continued instability and violence in the country is the direct product of the failed negotiations for an Iraqi government, and the fault for the violence by Iraqi insurgents and terrorists lies right at the feet of the elected political parties and their leaders.
It has taken far too long for a new government to be formed and move the country toward stability and an end to the insurgency, something that will not begin to happen until the leadership is in place. And as far as the Sunnis and government of
national unity are concerned - damn it, they didn't vote so they don't get to choose! Out with Allawi, in with the new government, and to hell with ministries for the Sunnis! National unity cannot occur in a vacuum of leadership, and the Sunnis are only interested in the Sunnis - it is the Sunnis who have supported the insurgency, the violence and the terrorists.
- China Daily
Last-minute disagreements appeared to have derailed Iraq's hopes of unveiling
a government on Thursday, nearly three months after elections, with negotiations
also strained by a surge in violence.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told Turkish television he did not think a deal could be reached, reversing hopes he expressed on Wednesday. Disagreement remained evident among the main factions -- Shi'ite Muslims, Kurds and Sunnis.
"I think the government will not be announced today ... We want to see the Sunni Arabs represented as well ... Negotiations also continue over the allocation of some posts," the Kurdish leader told Turkey's CNN Turk television in an interview.
Disputes surfaced at a meeting late on Wednesday, with caretaker Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who narrowly escaped assassination shortly after the talks, rejecting an offer to join the cabinet, sources involved in the negotiations said.
"The talks were going well, but the Shi'ites offered Allawi just two ministries, not the four that he wants, and he rejected the offer," one source said, referring to ministries offered to Allawi's political grouping.
"There was also continued disagreement over what ministries the Sunnis should get. The question really is whether the Shi'ites want to create a government of national unity, or just a Shi'ite-Kurd government," he said.
Shi'ite politicians said they were still hoping to announce a deal later in the day, but could not say when.
"We have made progress. An announcement will be made," said a senior official in the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the main Shi'ite party.
There has been furious debate over the makeup of the government for nearly three months, since elections were held on Jan. 30, an event which handed power to Iraq's majority Shi'ite community after decades of Sunni Muslim domination.
Posted by Hyscience at April 21, 2005 1:50 PM
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