BAGHDAD — Iraq’s president gave Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the nod to form the next government Thursday after an eight-month deadlock, keeping him in his post despite a dramatic Sunni walkout from parliament that demonstrated the deep distrust between the two sides.
The walkout and the fact that it came just one day after an accord was forged to work together dealt a blow to hopes for a unified government — especially one that ensures continued Shiite domination while giving Sunnis a role far short of the greater political power they seek.
Sunni support is crucial. The Americans had been pushing for them to have a significant role, fearing that otherwise, disillusioned Sunnis could turn to the insurgency, fueling new violence as the last of U.S. troops prepare to leave by the end of next year.
The power-sharing deal reached Wednesday night was heralded by some politicians as a breakthrough, ending the months of wrangling since the inconclusive March 7 parliament elections. But Sunnis were already accusing al-Maliki of not fulfilling promises and have warned they could pull out if they are not met.
At a news conference after the walkout, a lawmaker from the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, Haider al-Mulla, did not answer when asked whether the bloc would participate in the government. Instead, he said Iraqiya would seek “explanations from al-Maliki and State of Law over their broken commitments.”
The session was called so lawmakers could take the first formal steps toward forming the new government by naming senior leadership positions. It began with a show of unity, as al-Maliki and his top rival, Iraqiya’s leader Ayad Allawi, sat next to each other in the chamber, smiling and chatting.
The first vote went smoothly, with a Sunni from Allawi’s Iraqiya block, Osama al-Nujaifi, elected parliament speaker. But before the vote to elect a president, about 57 Iraqiya lawmakers walked out. They had demanded that lawmakers first vote to reverse a ban on three of the blocs’ members by a committee charged with rooting out members of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime from government posts. Their demand was rejected.
Iraqiya lawmakers have said that as part of the power-sharing deal, the other factions agreed to get rid of the controversial de-Baathification law entirely within two years. Sunnis view the de-Baathification process as a thinly veiled Shiite attempt to bar Sunnis from returning to power.
Despite the walkout — which Allawi joined — lawmakers proceeded with the session and elected Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani as president for a second term.
