Iraq PM calls for early elections

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki called for early elections, in a statement released on Wednesday, after a series of political crises escalated into calls for his removal.
‘When the other side refuses to sit at the table of dialogue and insists on the policy of provoking successive crises in a way that causes serious damage to the supreme interests of Iraqi people, the prime minister found himself forced to call for early elections,’ said the statement on the premier’s website.

Iraq has been hit by a series of intertwined political crises that began in mid-December with accusations by the secular, Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc that Maliki was concentrating power in his hands and have escalated into calls to unseat him.

An effort to persuade President Jalal Talabani to call a no-confidence vote stalled earlier this month when he said that Maliki’s opponents lacked the votes to oust him.

That decision meant the only way Maliki’s opponents could press their drive for a no-confidence motion was by requesting he appear before parliament and then holding the vote.

Parliament speaker Osama Al Nujaifi said on June 21 that Maliki’s opponents were to ask in the coming days for him to appear before the house in a renewed bid to oust him.

The crises have paralysed government, especially parliament, which has passed no significant legislation except for the budget, while other important measures such as a hydrocarbons law regulating Iraq’s oil sector have been delayed.

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Instead of sectarian fighting in the streets they fight hard in the political arena. Until they can settle their differences there will not be much progress, IMO. However it does appear they have made much progress when we read the arts, but one has to be cautious what you read and take the good with the bad and try and figure out what really is going on. You have to understand the media is only telling part of the story and only what they want the masses to hear. Its hard to read between the lines but you have to read all and except the good with the bad. I hope the HCL and tariffs get implemented as that will tell us they have crossed the threshold and are working together for the better of the people. Time will tell soon......

Stay positive as this can not go on much longer and will result in either a working Government or a much longer wait then we want. Nothing we can do anyways except stay positive even when things do not look good.