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| Iraq |
| 'No room for Baathist in Iraq's politics' |
| 2009-03-20 |
| Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says that the outlawed Baath Party can never be included in the political process of the country. "There were some mass media that attributed statements to the Prime Minister he did not give," a statement by Maliki's office said in a statement, Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported. "The Iraqi Constitution forbids any dialogues with or return of the dissolved Baath Party or any orientation to have it as a partner in the country's political process for its heinous crimes against all groups of the Iraqi people throughout 35 years," read the statement. "This Party (Baath) is held fully responsible for the suffering of the Iraqi people and the nation's humanitarian, political, security and economic situation. Anyone who thinks to have a dialogue with Baath, let alone allow it back in the political arena, would be committing flagrant constitutional violation clashing with the state of law and institutions we work on enhancing in the new Iraq," it added. Maliki, however, drew a line between those who were forced to join the Baath Party under Saddam and those members of the party who were loyal to the former Iraqi dictator. "We draw a line between those who were forced to join it under pressure and those who believed in its racist and sectarian ideologies. Based on this, we reiterate our call for those people forced to join Baath to return to the nation as citizens, not as members of the dismantled Baath." The Iraqi Baath party was founded in 1951 and involved in the suppression of many groups of the Iraqi people including Shias and Kurds. The Iraqi government has been under US pressure to nullify legislation which imposes prohibition against the employment of the ex-members of the Baath Party in state posts. However, Iraq's High Committee for Reconciliation has recently held talks with a 'left wing' branch of the Baath it said split from Saddam's Baath party long ago. The talks have raised concerns about the Baath party's return to power. |
| Posted by:Fred |