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Iraq's Maliki says factions agree to rejoin government
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Apr 24, 2008 BAGHDAD (Reuters) - |
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Political factions boycotting the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed to rejoin, the government said in a statement on Thursday. "Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said that reconciliation has proved a success and all political blocs will return to the government," Maliki's office said in a statement after Maliki met visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband. Iraq's main Sunni Arab bloc, followers of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and some smaller groups walked out of Maliki's Shi'ite-led national unity government last year in what was seen at the time as a blow to U.S. efforts to promote unity. The government has frequently said it is close to persuading the Sunni Arab Accordance Front to return in what would amount to a major breakthrough toward reconciling Iraq's warring sects. Front spokesman Salim al-Jubouri told Reuters the group intended to submit a list of candidates for cabinet posts "in a few days," which the cabinet could then present to parliament. "Our return to the government is very close," he said. The Front has so far said it was waiting for prisoners to be freed under a new amnesty law and for Sunni Arabs to be given more say in security policy. But it signaled its support for Maliki's security policy by backing a crackdown the prime minister ordered against Sadr's armed followers last month. While the statement from Maliki's office said all groups would return, it is highly unlikely Sadr's movement would agree to rejoin. Sadr pulled his six ministers from the government a year ago after Maliki refused to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. (Writing by Peter Graff, Editing by Dean Yates) |