Al-Jaafari asks Shia alliance to confirm nomination as PM

Embattled Iraqi prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari today asked the Shiite alliance to confirm his nomination for a second term, and Shiite politicians plan to meet this weekend to decide whether to replace him.

The move represents the first sign that al-Jaafari may have abandoned his quest for another term in the face of strong opposition from Sunnis and Kurds and opens the door for the 130 Shiite politicians to replace him.

Jawad al-Maliki, spokesman for the Dawa party, told reporters alliance politicians would meet on Saturday to make their decision. The United States had put strong pressure on the Shiites to resolve the stand-off over al-Jaafari, which has blocked formation of a national unity government.

The dramatic announcement was made shortly before a planned session of the Iraqi parliament to try to jump-start formation of a new government, deadlocked over al-Jaafari’s nomination. Shiite official Ridha Jawad Taqi said the Shiites would ask that the parliament session be delayed until Saturday or Sunday.

Al-Jaafari had repeatedly refused to abandon the nomination he won two months ago by one vote in a ballot among the politicians. As the largest bloc in parliament, the Shiites get to name the prime minister subject to parliamentary approval.

The Shiites lack the votes in the 275-member parliament to guarantee their candidate’s approval unless they have the backing of the Sunnis and Kurds, whom they need as partners to govern.

Al-Maliki, who has been mentioned as a possible replacement, said that “circumstances and updates had occurred” so the prime minister “has sent this issue back to the alliance so that it take the appropriate decision”.

Al-Maliki said the prime minister was not stepping down, but “he is not sticking to this post”.

The alliance leaders had avoided taking a public stand on demands by Sunnis and Kurds to replace al-Jaafari, fearing a split in the Shiite alliance.

Al-Jaafari has repeatedly refused to step aside and yesterday said such a move was “out of the question”.