Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Maliki Named Iraq PM, Ending Impasse

   VOA News 25 November 2010
   Nouri al-Maliki (file photo)

Photo: ap

   Nouri al-Maliki (file photo)

   Iraq's  president  has officially asked incumbent Prime Minister Nouri
   al-Maliki  to form a new government, ending a political stalemate that
   has paralyzed the country since general elections in March.
   President Jalal Talabani's formal request Thursday gives Mr. Maliki 30
   days to complete the challenge of choosing a cabinet.
   The  long-awaited  announcement  comes two weeks after Iraq's Shi'ite,
   Kurdish  and Sunni political leaders reached a power-sharing deal that
   put Mr. Maliki on track for a second term.
   President Talabani was to have named Mr. Maliki as prime minister last
   Sunday,  but  delayed  the decision to give him more time to negotiate
   ministerial posts.
   If  Mr.  Maliki  fails to produce a new government within a month, the
   constitution requires the president to nominate another candidate.
   The  re-selection  of Mr. Talabani, a longtime Kurdish leader, and the
   naming  of  a  Sunni  Arab, Osama al-Nujaifi, as speaker of parliament
   were also part of the November 10 power-sharing pact.
   The  accord  also calls for former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, head of
   the  Sunni-backed Iraqiya coalition, to head a newly created committee
   overseeing  national  security,  the  National  Council  for Strategic
   Policies.
   Mr.  Allawi's  alliance  won  the most seats in the inconclusive March
   elections  but was unable to gain enough support from other parties to
   create a majority coalition.
   Iraqiya's inability to find political partners allowed Mr. Maliki, who
   partnered  with  anti-American  Shi'ite  cleric  Muqtada al-Sadr in an
   Iranian-backed coalition, to gain momentum and support.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

.