- Title: IRAQ: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SWEARS IN NEW GOVERNMENT
- Date: 4th May 2005
- Summary: (EU) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MAY 3, 2005) (IRAQIYA POOL) 1. SLV MEMBERS OF IRAQ'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SITTING IN AUDITORIUM WATCHING CEREMONY SWEARING IN THE COUNTRY'S NEW MINISTERS ON THE PODIUM; MV IRAQI PRIME MINISTER JAAFARI SWEARING IN THE NEW MINISTERS; SLV MINISTERS ON THE PODIUM DURING CEREMONY (5 SHOTS) 1.03 2. MV DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND ACTING OIL MINISTERY AHMED CHALABI SWEARING IN THE NEW MINISTERS; PODIUM AND CEREMONY AS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AND MINISTERS APPLAUD AT END OF CEREMONY 1.18 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI PRESIDENT JALAL TALABANI SAYING: "On this historical day, we are announcing the first Iraqi government, the first elected Iraqi government, aproved by the Iraqi National Assembly, which was democratically elected. on this day, I want to thank all of the Iraqi people and congratulate them and I hope Dr Ibrahim Jaafari and his brothers and sisters (cabinet) will succeed in carrying out their heavy responsibility" 2.24 4. SLV GENERAL CEREMONY, PEOPLE SITTING IN FRONT OF PODIUM AND LISTENING 2.30 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI PRIME MINISTER IBRAHIM JAAFARI SAYING: "I will say this, to all Iraqis, that it is true each minister has his own ideology, religious or ethnic and I say that all the ministries are Iraqi and that their doors will be open to the people of Iraq" 6. APPLAUSE 3.13 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 19th May 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA5KMHWXW6Q4KLQ5WVL627XBFG0
- Story Text: The Iraqi National Assembly swears in the new
government although five ministareial posts still remain
unfilled.
Iraq swore in the new government in a special ceremony
in Baghdad on Tuesday (May 3, 2005), three months after
the elections and with 5 ministries still unfilled.
The swearing in came amidst tight security in the city
which saw heavy traffic hours before the event and violence
which claimed the lives of at least 26 people in two days.
Two US F-18 planes went missing on Monday night (May
2), 14 people were killed in raging battles between US
soldiers, Iraqi forces and insurgents in Ramadi, a rebel
stronghold west of Baghdad, and a US statement said
American soldiers had killed 12 suspected insurgents
further west, in Qaim, near the Syrian border, in a
firefight and bombing.
Washington hopes to reduce its losses in Iraq by
pulling out troops, but that is unlikely to happen until
Iraqi forces, who
have lost hundreds of comrades, prove they can secure the
country on their own.
That is one of the highest priorities of Iraq's newly
elected government.
Jalal Talabani, one of Iraq's deputy Prime Ministers
and acting oil minister, was one of those being sworn in.
Iraq failed to name an oil minister as its new
government was sworn in on Tuesday, fueling uncertainty in
an industry already troubled by guerrilla sabotage attacks
in crude pipelines.
An aide to Iraq's Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari
said hours earlier that U.S.-educated oil engineer Ibrahim
Bahr al-Uloum was expected to be sworn in as Iraq's
permanent oil minister on Tuesday.
After years of sanctions and war, Iraq's economic recovery depends
revenue generated by crude oil exports.
But bombings of oil pipelines have hurt efforts to boost
exports.
Talabani said the ceremony marked a historical day in
Iraq but reminded the ministers of the hard task ahead.
"On this historical day, we are announcing the first
Iraqi government, the first elected Iraqi government,
aproved by the Iraqi National Assembly, which was
democratically elected. on this day, I want to thank all of
the Iraqi people and congratulate them and I hope Dr
Ibrahim Jaafari and his brothers and sisters (cabinet) will
succeed in carrying out their heavy responsibility," said
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
The millions of Iraqis who braved suicide bombs to vote
in the Jan. 30 elections hoped they would be rewarded by
new leaders who would build up security forces and tackle
violence.
But it took haggling politicians three months to form a
partial cabinet, emboldening insurgents who have stepped up
attacks since the government was formed. That government,
still not fully formed, was expected to be sworn in later
on Tuesday.
"I will say this, to all Iraqis, that it is true each
minister has his own ideology, religious or ethnic and I
say that all the ministries are Iraqi and that their doors
will be open to the people of Iraq," Jaafari said.
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