IRAQ: Political leaders reach agreement about the ministerial committee for national security

Record ID: 214382

  • Title: IRAQ: Political leaders reach agreement about the ministerial committee for national security
  • Date: 3rd April 2006
  • Summary: PROTESTERS BACK VIEW OF PROTESTERS CARRYING BANNERS
  • Embargoed: 18th April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAF240ZW11Z52XL71R61MJ11L4K
  • Story Text: After weeks of wrangling, a notable compromise was struck in talks at President Jalal Talabani's house on Saturday (April 1). According to a statement from Talabani, all parties agreed a deputy prime minister would sit on a key cabinet committee dealing with security.
    Sunnis, who will provide a deputy to any Shi'ite prime minister, had pushed for control of the committee. Shi'ites had refused them a say. So the deal fell some way in between.
    Earlier in the day around one thousand people marched through the street of the predominantly Shi'ite neighbourhood of Kadhimiya to show support for Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.
    The protest came in response to a public call for the first time by leaders of Iraq's ruling Shi'ite Alliance bloc for Jaafari to step down as prime minister to break weeks of deadlock over a national unity government.
    The protesters, mainly supporters of the radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr marched through the street chanting slogans in support of Jaafari. Sadr's support enabled al-Jaafari to win the nomination by a single vote in a February 12 caucus of Shiites who won election to the new parliament Dec.
    The protesters carried two black coffins representing democracy and election.
    "It is a spontaneous move by the people who attended this peaceful rally at Kadhimiya district to show support for Ibrahim al-Jaafari because he is the right man in the right place. Our hands with the hands of Ibrahim al-Jaafari, because he is the hand of the right," said Haji Ahmed, who took part in the rally.
    The rift declared by one leader of the Shi'ite Alliance and echoed, anonymously by others sparked consternation in the Alliance ranks as parties held their latest round of talks on a grand coalition with Kurds and Sunnis, who are adamant in their rejection of Jaafari.
    Officials say a unity government, more than three months after December's election, is vital to averting civil war after five weeks of spiralling sectarian bloodshed.
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