Iraq again postpones meeting of parliament

THE IRAQI parliament yesterday postponed indefinitely its second session since the early March election, reinforcing factional deadlock and deepening the political vacuum afflicting the country.

Caretaker speaker Fuad Massoum said: “We held a meeting this morning with the heads of the parliamentary blocs and we agreed to give more time to the political entities to reach agreement regarding the selection of a speaker and his two deputies.”

Under the 2005 constitution, this task is meant to be carried out during the inaugural session of the newly-elected assembly, which convened briefly on June 14th without appointing a speaker.

In spite of opposition from prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and his State of Law faction, Mr Massoum said the representatives of the blocs “insisted on calling the current government a caretaker administration”.

This designation is clearly meant to convey that it is temporary and to warn rival blocs that they must reach agreement on the senior officers of the government.

Following the appointment of a speaker, the assembly is meant to name a president and a prime minister. However, thanks to the ethno-sectarian regime imposed by the US in 2003, Iraq’s post-war politicians have reversed the constitutional order. Under this system, Shias have held the office of premier, a Kurd the presidency and Sunnis the speakership.

Since the secular Iraqiya bloc led by Iyad Allawi emerged as the largest in the 325-member assembly, with 91 seats, he insists he should be the first to try to form a government. But he has been unable to assemble a coalition with 163 members and Mr Maliki, whose bloc won 89 seats, has done his utmost to overturn the result of the election and remain as premier. In a bid to break the deadlock, Iran persuaded Mr Maliki to form a grand Shia bloc with the Iraqi National Alliance comprising the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council headed by Ammar al-Hakim and the followers of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. However, Mr Sadr rejects Mr Maliki as premier and Mr Hakim has told him to step aside. Mr Maliki refuses to do so.

Analysts argue that bombings targeting Shia pilgrims are weakening Mr Maliki. On Monday 40 pilgrims were killed and 70 wounded in explosions in the Shia holy city of Karbala during a major pilgrimage.