Shi’ites want names agreed

A TOP Shi’ite lawmaker yesterday said names of selections for top posts in the new Iraqi government must be agreed upon before parliament can convene next week, casting doubt on whether the legislature will meet as announced.

The next session was called for Monday to push past a political stalemate over who should be prime minister. But members of the dominant Shi’ite alliance questioned holding the meeting without first designating all top posts.

“If we don’t agree on the key posts, then why should we go to parliament?” Shi’ite lawmaker Khudayer al-Khuzai asked yesterday.

The move indicated that the Shi’ites don’t want to be steamrolled into an assembly meeting until they’ve internally resolved the issue of the prime minister nomination. The alliance has so far stood behind its candidate, current Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Sunnis and Kurds have refused to accept the nominee.

Mr Al-Khuzai said Shi’ite politicians were asking for representatives of each political bloc to meet on Sunday to discuss names for the key positions, which include the president, the parliament speaker and deputies, among others.

If names can be agreed on Sunday, then Shi’ite leaders will attend the Monday meeting, he said.