Iraqi PM al-Jaafari cancels govt talks

Prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari today cancelled a meeting with Iraq’s political leaders after they agreed to mount a campaign to deny him another term in a bid to jump-start stalled talks on a new national unity government.

Al-Jaafari had called the meeting to discuss ways to resolve the political stand-off and contain a surge of sectarian violence that has pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.

His office gave no reason for cancelling it.

“The cancellation of this meeting is a regrettable thing because such meetings are essential under the current situation,” said Mahmoud Othman, from the Kurdish bloc in Parliament.

Yesterday, leaders of three parties, including Sunnis, Kurds and the secularists of ex-Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, agreed to ask the main Shiite bloc to withdraw al-Jaafari’s nomination for prime minister and put forward another candidate.

Officials of all three groups confirmed the plan.