BAGHDAD - Iraq’s top five political leaders are due to hold a summit this week in an attempt to end a political crisis which has paralyzed the country for months, officials said on Monday.They told Reuters that Kurdish, Sunni Arab and Shi’ite leaders acknowledge the political impasse and may meet on Friday. “They will be holding marathon meetings. So far we have the 27th as the date but it is yet to be confirmed,” a senior government official told Reuters.
The summit will bring together President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, ShiÂ’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. It will also involve Masoud Barzani, president of IraqÂ’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and a top aide of powerful ShiÂ’ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The government official said the summit may also be extended to include other key figures such as former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi.
The leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including how to agree on amending the constitution. The identity of the disputed oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk could also be on the agenda, officials said.
MalikiÂ’s government is under mounting pressure to meet benchmarks set by Washington to end sectarian violence and push for economic and political reforms. But political wrangling among its factions has left it weak and shaky. Sunni Arab ministers in the government have stopped attending cabinet meetings, while ShiÂ’ite ministers loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have left the government.
“The situation is very serious and the country is deadlocked, so they need to meet to move things forward,” said a senior Shi’ite official, speaking on condition of anonymity.