Finally Iraq Has A Speaker

[Annie]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050403/wl_nm/iraq_dc

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi politicians elected a Sunni Arab to be the speaker of parliament Sunday, ending a political impasse and taking a decisive step toward forming a government nine weeks after historic elections.

In a ballot, the members of the 275-seat National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to elect Hajem al-Hassani, the current industry minister, as speaker. Hassani, a religious Sunni, is an ally of Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

"We passed the first hurdle," Hassani told reporters. "The Iraqi people have proven that they can overcome the political crisis that has plagued the country for the last two months."

But he also warned against complacency: "If we neglect our responsibilities and fail, we will hurt ourselves and the people will replace us with others."

Shi'ite politician Hussain Shahristani and Kurdish lawmaker Arif Tayfor were named deputy speakers. The Shi'ites and Kurds, who came first and second in the elections, agreed that a member of the once-dominant Sunni Arab minority should be speaker.

The vote took place hours after insurgents mounted a brazen attack on Abu Ghraib jail outside Baghdad, battling U.S. forces for an hour. Al Qaeda's wing in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack, in which 44 U.S. troops were wounded.

While the meeting was going on, a mortar round struck near Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, where the assembly gathered, causing a loud blast but little damage, officials said.

ARGUMENT OVER POSTS

The process of forming a government has been drawn out by sharp differences between the Islamist-led Shi'ite alliance and the more secular Kurds over who should get which cabinet posts.

Parliament's last meeting on March 29 descended into chaos after politicians berated their leaders for lack of action.

The naming of a speaker is one step toward ending Iraq's political deadlock, but a more important step will be the naming of a president, two vice-presidents, and prime minister.

Those appointments are expected at parliament's next meeting Wednesday, Shahristani told reporters.

The president is expected to be Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and one of the vice presidents will be Adel Abdul Mahdi, a Shi'ite. The Sunnis need more time to decide who their candidate for the other vice-president position will be.

The Shi'ite Ibrahim Jaafari will be prime minister.

Iraqi officials have raised concerns that the longer it takes to form a government, the more it will fuel the insurgency by making elected authorities appear weak and indecisive.

There is also anger among ordinary Iraqis, more than 8 million of whom braved the threat of violence to vote in January only to see politics descend into squabbling.

Most of the top cabinet posts have already been worked out but the process has involved intense bargaining and brinkmanship. One position still in dispute is the oil ministry, which both the Shi'ites and the Kurds are determined to secure.

CONSTITUTION TIMETABLE THREATENED

The standoff threatens to derail the timetable for drawing up a new constitution, which is due to be drafted by mid-August.

It is also incurring the wrath of Sunni Arabs, who are demanding a role in the government despite their poor showing at the polls -- only 17 of the 275 parliamentarians are Sunni Arabs, the result of most Sunnis boycotting the vote.

Shi'ite and Kurdish leaders fear that if the Sunnis are not brought into the process, it will exacerbate the Sunni-led insurgency that has been raging for more than two years.

There had been indications in recent days that the violence may be easing, with the number of daily attacks down by around 20 percent since the election....

 

[onedomino]

The Speaker is a Sunni, the PM is a Shi’ite, and the President is a Kurd. Where are the doomsayers that insisted the invasion of Iraq would lead either to partitioning or civil war?

 

[Annie]

The Speaker is a Sunni, the PM is a Shi’ite, and the President is a Kurd. Where are the doomsayers that insisted the invasion of Iraq would lead either to partitioning or civil war?

Why did I figure you'd notice that?