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| Iraq |
| Iraqi Sunnis end government boycott |
| 2008-07-19 |
| Iraq's main Sunni Arab bloc has ended an almost year-long boycott of Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government, in a major boost for the country's reconciliation program. Parliament overwhelmingly endorsed the appointment of six Sunni ministers from the country's main Sunni bloc, the National Concord Front, in a session attended by 190 MPs of the 275-member assembly. The MPs also approved the appointment of four independents to replace ministers from the political bloc of radical Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, which has boycotted the government since April last year. One of the six Sunni ministers, Rafie al-Issawi, was voted in as a deputy prime minister to Mr Maliki. The Sunni bloc, which has 44 MPs in the parliament, withdrew its ministers in August last year in protest at what it viewed as the monopolisation of power by the other factions in government - the Shiites and Kurds. One of the six later rejoined the cabinet and was expelled from the Sunni bloc. Sunni leaders had been insisting that the Iraqi security forces release many Sunni prisoners they believed had been unjustifiably detained. The National Concord Front also wanted a general amnesty declared as well as greater Sunni participation in the decision-making of a government dominated by Shiites. It is unclear whether the conditions put forward by the Sunnis for their return to government have been met, but in recent months relations between Maliki and Sunni Arab leaders have warmed following his decision to target Shiite militiamen. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #1 I thought they might, eventually. Feel free to boycott forever if you like. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-07-19 20:00 |