Secular ministers boycott Iraqi cabinet meetings

IRAQ:The Iraqi government crisis intensified this week following a boycott of cabinet meetings by five ministers belonging to the secular Iraqi National Party headed by former prime minister Ayad Allawi. Suspensions and resignations have reduced the number of active ministers from 37 to 20.

The five, who are continuing to run their ministries, are protesting at marginalisation by incumbent prime minister Nuri al-Maliki and his Shia fundamentalist entourage. Iyad Jamal al-Din, a party legislator, said it had taken such action to protest at the government's failure to meet demands put forward five months ago.

It was a "first step" but Mr al- Din would not reveal what the party intended to do next.

The boycott finishes off Mr al-Maliki's claim that he heads a national unity government.

Last week six ministers from the Iraqi Accord Front, the main Sunni party which lent the coalition the appearance of broad Iraqi representation, pulled out of the cabinet saying a dozen of its demands had not been met.

Six ministers belonging to the largest single parliamentary faction led by radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr withdrew in April, reducing the dominant Shia alliance to 81 seats in the 275- seat parliament. Ministries without active ministers include planning, justice, transport, health, higher education and labour.

Mr al-Maliki is also under severe challenge from within his own divided Dawa party.

His predecessor, Ibrahim al- Jaafari, a senior figure in Dawa, is trying to form a new party, the National Reform Assembly. He is trying to recruit members of existing ethnic Kurd and sectarian parties as well as secularists ahead of provincial elections.

While the most senior Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, has reportedly rejected Dr al-Jaafari's project, the notion of a broad-based movement seems to appeal to many Iraqis disillusioned with the sectarian and ethnic parties the US installed after the 2003 war.

While analysts say Dr al-Jaafari is not likely to succeed because communalism has become rooted in the Iraqi political system, his efforts are certain to weaken Mr al-Maliki who has failed to forge an alliance between Shias, Kurds and Sunnis.