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BAGHDAD -- Iraq’s three major political coalitions have prepared proposals to save the country from its political turmoil.
The major factions have been locked in dispute over a number of issues, among them power sharing and the performance of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
The Sunni-dominated Iraqiya bloc, led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA) of Maliki, have been at odds since the general elections of 2010.
Although Iraqiya came out the winner, it was maneuvered by Maliki who created a larger coalition of Shia groups and secured a majority to form the government.
Allawi was to form and head a council for strategic state policies, according to an agreement made in Erbil; the council has not been formed yet thanks to political rivalry between his and Maliki’s Shia bloc.
A recent arrest warrant by Maliki on the Sunni Vice President, Tariq Hashmi, further escalated the tensions. Maliki also tried to dismiss his deputy Saleh al Mutlag, another Sunni politician.
To find a solution to the crisis, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has urged the Iraqi factions to come together in a national convention.
Fuad Massoum, a Kurdish lawmaker in Baghdad and a member of the committee to oversee the convention, said that three proposals have been submitted on how to resolve the ongoing crisis.
Rudaw has learned that INA’s proposal makes such recommendations as reforming the parliament, setting a timetable for passing important legislations, clarifying the powers of the prime minister and president, as well as implementing constitutional Article 140 regarding the disputed territories of Kirkuk, Diyala and Nineveh provinces.
Iraqiya’s proposal, on the other hand, demands commitment to the constitution and the Erbil agreement by all sides. It also calls to resolve the case of Vice President Hashimi.
Arshad Salehi, an Iraqiya MP, believes that an open discussion about Hashimi and Mutlag at the convention will yield “good results.”
“Our proposal includes points that would help the political process succeed,” said Salehi.
But some Shia MPs have refused in the past to discuss Hashimi’s case in any political meetings, arguing that it is a judiciary matter.
For its part, the Kurdistan Alliance, the main Kurdish bloc in Iraqi Parliament, demands full implementation of the points of the Erbil agreement including the passing of a new oil and gas law, Article 140 and funding for Kurdistan’s Peshmarga forces.
In 2010, the Kurds threw their support behind Maliki to help him form a new government.
Rafi’ Abduljabar, an INA Shia lawmaker, said his bloc has great hopes for the convention, but he was opposed to putting Hashimi and Mutlag’s cases on the agenda, saying “It will cause the convention to fail before it even begins.”
Kurdish MP Massoum told Rudaw, “Political groups agree on using the Erbil agreement as a basis for the talks.”
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The major factions have been locked in dispute over a number of issues, among them power sharing and the performance of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
The Sunni-dominated Iraqiya bloc, led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA) of Maliki, have been at odds since the general elections of 2010.
Although Iraqiya came out the winner, it was maneuvered by Maliki who created a larger coalition of Shia groups and secured a majority to form the government.
Allawi was to form and head a council for strategic state policies, according to an agreement made in Erbil; the council has not been formed yet thanks to political rivalry between his and Maliki’s Shia bloc.
A recent arrest warrant by Maliki on the Sunni Vice President, Tariq Hashmi, further escalated the tensions. Maliki also tried to dismiss his deputy Saleh al Mutlag, another Sunni politician.
To find a solution to the crisis, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has urged the Iraqi factions to come together in a national convention.
Fuad Massoum, a Kurdish lawmaker in Baghdad and a member of the committee to oversee the convention, said that three proposals have been submitted on how to resolve the ongoing crisis.
Rudaw has learned that INA’s proposal makes such recommendations as reforming the parliament, setting a timetable for passing important legislations, clarifying the powers of the prime minister and president, as well as implementing constitutional Article 140 regarding the disputed territories of Kirkuk, Diyala and Nineveh provinces.
Iraqiya’s proposal, on the other hand, demands commitment to the constitution and the Erbil agreement by all sides. It also calls to resolve the case of Vice President Hashimi.
Arshad Salehi, an Iraqiya MP, believes that an open discussion about Hashimi and Mutlag at the convention will yield “good results.”
“Our proposal includes points that would help the political process succeed,” said Salehi.
But some Shia MPs have refused in the past to discuss Hashimi’s case in any political meetings, arguing that it is a judiciary matter.
For its part, the Kurdistan Alliance, the main Kurdish bloc in Iraqi Parliament, demands full implementation of the points of the Erbil agreement including the passing of a new oil and gas law, Article 140 and funding for Kurdistan’s Peshmarga forces.
In 2010, the Kurds threw their support behind Maliki to help him form a new government.
Rafi’ Abduljabar, an INA Shia lawmaker, said his bloc has great hopes for the convention, but he was opposed to putting Hashimi and Mutlag’s cases on the agenda, saying “It will cause the convention to fail before it even begins.”
Kurdish MP Massoum told Rudaw, “Political groups agree on using the Erbil agreement as a basis for the talks.”
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