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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.

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