Posted on 04/20/2006 2:00:25 AM PDT by HAL9000
Iraq: Jaafari ready to give up its candidature for the post of Prime Minister
BAGHDAD - Ibrahim Jaafari was ready Thursday to be given up her candidature for the post of Prime Minister after having lengthily insisted to succeed itself, opening the way at an exit of the political crisis in Iraq.
"Doctor Jaafari was selected like candidate by the Iraqi unified list (AUI, the block Shiite) and it asks today this block to decide its candidature", declared one of its close relations Jawad Al-Maliki with the press.
Outgoing the Prime Minister thus leaves with his block the choice decide his candidature.
"That means that it does not insist any more to have the station", explained Mr. Maliki, the number two of Dawa, proper party of Mr. Jaafari.
"This initiative was dictated by the concern for Mr. Jaafari to preserve the unit of alliance and its future walk as it testifies to its respect for the masses which voted for him", still said Mr. Maliki.
"alliance now will decide its response at the request of Mr. Jaafari", added the person in charge Shiite by specifying that the authorities of this block "will meet today or to examine the question tomorrow".
I love Babelfish translations.
Very likely. The Shiites are the majority.
But they do not want a radical Shiite tied to Muqtada al-Sadr and Iran. That is the whole reason they want Jaafari out.
Most Iraqis really favor a moderate, more secular government. The lifestyle in Iraq has supported that and they are not willing to do as Iran did and step back several centuries.
Hi Allegra how is life in the sandbox this morning....is this news being excepted or are the Tater Tots revolting?
'Tis a warm, sunny afternoon in Baghdad. We have expected this news for some time. We just figured the "face-saving" process needed to be established first.
I haven't heard anything official about Jaafari stepping down, but everyone knows it needs to happen.
They realize the government cannot be successful with those ties to al-Sadr and Iran mixed up in it. I frequently hear Iraqis say with conviction: "We do NOT want to be another Iran."
Did you hear about the brothers from Iraq the Model...losing a brother-in-law to the terrorists...killed him as he opened up a foundation he was starting.
Iraqi PM clears way for Shiites to replace him
QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press
Baghdad — Embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari cleared the way Thursday for Shiite leaders to withdraw his nomination for a second term, a step that could break a months-long standoff that is blocking the formation of a new government.
Shiite lawmakers planned to meet Saturday to decide whether to replace Mr. al-Jaafari, who faced fierce opposition from Iraq's Kurdish and Sunni Arab parties.
“The alliance is leaning toward changing [the nomination]. The majority opinion is in favour of this,” said Bassem Sharif, a lawmaker in the seven-party Shiite coalition.
The move represents the first sign that Mr. al-Jaafari has abandoned his quest to keep the prime minister's post, only a day after he had repeated his steadfast refusal to step down.
The United States had put strong pressure on the Shiites to resolve the standoff quickly so they could form a government able to stabilize Iraq amid increasing sectarian violence.
The dramatic announcement was made shortly before a planned session of the Iraqi parliament to try to jump-start formation of a new government. The Shiites asked that the session be postponed until Saturday or Sunday, after they resolve the issue of Mr. al-Jaafari's nomination, said Shiite official Ridha Jawad Taqi.
Jawad al-Maliki, spokesman for the prime minister's Dawa party, told reporters that “circumstances and updates had occurred” prompting Mr. al-Jaafari to refer the nomination back to the alliance “so that it take the appropriate decision.”
Mr. al-Maliki said the Prime Minister was not stepping down but “he is not sticking to this post.”
Mr. al-Maliki and another leading Dawa politician, Ali al-Adeeb, have been touted as possible replacements for Mr. al-Jaafari.
The largest bloc in parliament, with 130 lawmakers, the Shiite alliance gets to name the prime minister subject to parliament approval. But the Shiites lack the votes in the 275-member parliament to guarantee their candidate's approval unless they have the backing of the Sunnis and Kurds, whom they need as partners to govern.
The Sunnis and Kurds, however, rejected Mr. al-Jaafari, blaming him for the recent rise in secular tensions in Iraq.
Mr. al-Jaafari won the alliance nomination two months ago by only one vote, relying on support from radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
With the deadlock dragging on, more Shiite lawmakers have shown a willingness to dump him -- though they have been reluctant to do so overtly and break the coalition. Mr. al-Jaafari, meanwhile, repeatedly refused to step aside, saying as recently as Wednesday that doing do was “out of the question.”
U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday urged the Iraqis to “step up and form a unity government so that those who went to the polls to vote recognize that a government will be in place to respond to their needs.”
Resolution of the prime minister issue could smooth the way for filling other posts, including the president, two vice-presidents, parliament speaker and the two deputy speakers. The Shiites could block Sunni and Kurdish candidates for those positions in retaliation for the standoff over Mr. al-Jaafari.
Late Wednesday, the Sunnis decided to support Adnan al-Dulaimi for speaker, a post held by a Sunni Arab in the last parliament.
Thursday's parliament session was intended to vote on the parliament speaker and his deputies. But in the wake of Mr. al-Jaafari's announcement, the Shiite coalition said it would not attend and asked that the session be put off until the weekend.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060420.w2iraq0420/BNStory/International/home
LOL!
Yes, unfortunately, that sort of thing still happens.
But not as much as it was happening in '04. So, as macabre as it is, I suppose that is progress.
Where is the sarcasm tag? LOL. You are too good. This should be reposted onto the el stupido comments of every knuckledragging neanderthal who crashes every thread with such dangerous twaddle as you mention. Thanks for making my day .
I know, Allegra, you're already at happy hour! ;-)
It is certainly very encouraging news.
It is important, I think, to realize that this is democracy in action. No gunplay, no bombings, but rather the distribution of power based on political strengths. Kinda neat.
Here is the CNN piece. It is nice to see Jaafari back down and take one for the team. He needed to offer this, or frankly, the Iraqi govt. may not be formed.
That would be a terrible situation for the United States and not good in the midterm elections.
----
Ibrahim al-Jaafari -- whose nomination for Iraqi prime minister has served to paralyze the country's political process -- has signaled to the Shiites that they could choose another PM prospect, a move that would jump-start the long-delayed formation of a government.
Al-Jaafari wrote the Shiite-led United Iraqi Alliance a letter on Thursday that says, in effect, that the group needs to decide whether to keep him or choose someone else.
The country's transitional prime minister, al-Jaafari has emerged as a polarizing figure since he was nominated by UIA members two months ago.
He earned the nomination by one vote, pushed over the top by supporters of controversial firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
His nomination generated opposition from Sunnis, Kurds and secularists -- all of whom criticized his job performance -- and it created a stalemate in the formation of a national unity government, with al-Jaafari waving off calls to step aside.
Jawad al-Maliki, spokesman for the prime minister's Dawa party, told reporters that "circumstances and updates had occurred" prompting al-Jaafari to refer the nomination back to the alliance "so that it take the appropriate decision."
Al-Maliki said the prime minister was not stepping down but "he is not sticking to this post," according to The Associated Press.
Finally!
It is not sad.
This idiot was holding up the formation of a unity government.
Glad to see him finally care more about Iraq than holding power.
ALMOST - the way things are going today. LOL
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