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| Iraq |
| Rival parties resume Iraqs govt coalition talks |
| 2010-08-21 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and former premier Iyad Allawi have resumed negotiations aimed at forming a government after falling out briefly over a sectarian row, senior politicians said on Friday. Iraq has drifted in a dangerous political vacuum since a March election produced no outright winner. Attacks by insurgents have raised fears of a return to broader violence as U.S. troops end combat operations this month. Osama al-Nujaifi, a senior member of Allawi's Sunni-backed Iraqiya, said Allawi had agreed to resume talks with Maliki's Shiite-led State of Law bloc after breaking off talks because Maliki described Allawi's group as Sunni, rather than cross-sectarian. "Allawi received a letter the day before yesterday from Maliki regarding the last stand made by Iraqiya. I am not aware of the details of the letter but Allawi considers that the letter is sufficient to reconcile and overcome the situation," Nujaifi told Reuters. Ali al-Dabbagh, a senior State of Law member, said he visited Allawi on Thursday to restart negotiations and handed him two proposals -- one on forming a coalition government and the second on political and administrative reform. "We are seeking to bring together Allawi and Maliki in a private meeting to bring things back to its normal course and to have serious negotiations started between the two lists," Dabbagh told Reuters. "We are making a new approach. It talks about creating an equation for partnership." Allawi and Maliki have been locked in a tussle over who has the right to form the next government. Talks on working together began after Maliki failed to overcome resistance among many of his Shiite allies to his ambitions for a second term. |
| Posted by:Fred |