Baghdad, Iraq – Shiite politicians failed Monday to persuade Sunni Arabs and Kurds to soften their opposition to a second term for Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, leaving the Shiites with little choice but to replace him if they want to break the deadlock on a new government.
But al-Jaafari’s supporters within the Shiite alliance showed no sign of backing down. Representatives of the seven parties within the alliance planned to meet today to discuss the standoff, which has blocked formation of a government of national unity.
“For the alliance to make a change, it needs to have the support of five of the seven blocs within it,” said Salam al-Maliki, an al-Jaafari supporter. “This is impossible to secure.”
Names mentioned as possible alternate nominees of the alliance include Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who lost the nomination to al-Jaafari by a single vote; deputy parliament speaker Hussain al-Shahristani, an independent; and Ali al-Adeeb and Jawad al-Maliki, members of the prime minister’s party.
However, none of the alternatives was believed to have broad support among enough alliance factions to be guaranteed quick approval.
The Shiites, the largest bloc in parliament, are under strong pressure from the United States, Britain and their own clerical leadership to end the standoff with the Sunnis and Kurds, whom the Shiites need as partners in a new government.
“Forming a unity government is critical to defeating the terrorists and securing the peace,” President Bush said Monday. “The terrorists and insurgents thrive in a political vacuum. And the delay in forming a government is creating a vacuum that the terrorists and insurgents are working to exploit.”
The U.S. military reported the deaths of three more American soldiers, all of them a result of hostile action in Anbar province, a Sunni-dominated province west of Baghdad. At least 11 Iraqis were killed Monday, police said.
In addition, five bodies were found Monday, four in Baghdad and one south of the capital, but it was unclear when they died, police said.
Iraq’s constitution states that the largest bloc in parliament gets first crack at the prime ministership, subject to approval in the legislature. The Shiites, the majority in the country, won 130 of the 275 seats in December, making them the biggest faction but without enough strength to govern without partners.
