Shias still deadlocked over nomination of Jaafari

IRAQ: Iraqi Shia politicians yesterday failed to break the deadlock over the nomination of the transitional prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, to head the new government.

Kurdish, Sunni and secular politicians oppose Dr Jaafari and have asked the Shia United Iraqi Alliance to put forward another candidate, but the alliance has not abandoned him and he has refused to step down, frustrating efforts to form a government.

However, alliance unity fractured when the small Fadhila (Virtue) party, formally broke ranks by proposing to nominate its own candidate.

Its leader, Nadim Jabiri, withdrew from the race in February, which Dr Jaafari of the Dawa party won by one vote over Adil Abdel Mahdi of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

The London-based Arabic daily al- Hayat reported that followers of the rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the largest alliance faction, are also willing to drop Dr Jaafari if a consensus candidate can be found. Sadrist deputy Karim Bakhati said the faction would accept Jawad Maliki or Ali Adib of Dawa, Abdul Karim Anizi of Islamic Dawa or Muwaffaq Rubaie, the national security adviser.

The Sadrists will not agree to Abdel Mahdi of the Supreme Council.

The movement founded, formed and financed by Iran's clerical regime, is the main rival of the Sadrists who represent the Shia Iraqi Arab nationalist tendency.

The Sadrists favour Dr Jaafari because he calls for a united, independent Iraq and the withdrawal of foreign forces.

Another candidate for the post is Hussein Shahristani, an independent with close ties to Shia Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. He has urged the Shias to remain united, fearing that division over the premiership might implode the alliance.

Iraq's constitution stipulates that the largest bloc in parliament has the right to name the prime minister who must also secure majority approval.

The alliance took 128 seats in the 275- member house, forcing the bloc to rely on partners to govern. The Kurds reject Dr Jaafari because he refused to give official blessing to their drive to take over Kirkuk and its oil fields by settling community members in the area.

Sunnis and secularists accuse him of being weak and indecisive and of failing to prevent the creation by the ministry interior of Shia death squads which target Sunnis and former Baathists.

The alliance is set to meet again today to try to end the crisis.