Sunday, October 01, 2006
Shi'ite politicians call for cabinet overhaul
Politics
Iraqi Shi'ite politicians called for a major cabinet overhaul on Sunday, two days after U.S. troops arrested a bodyguard for Adnan al-Dulaimi, leader of the Iraqi Accordance Front, one of the largest Sunni parties, on suspicion of plotting to bomb the fortified government compound. The arrest sparked angry comments from Shi'ite politicians and increased the tension between parliamentary blocs, which are built on sectarian and ethnic lines and struggled for months to agree the allocation of cabinet posts.
Bahaa al-Araji, an outspoken senior Shi'ite deputy from the United Iraqi Alliance, parliament's largest bloc, said on Sunday that the national unity government was "infiltrated by terrorists," drawing sharp rebukes from Sunni Arab lawmakers. Araji, whose affiliation is to the fiery Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, said a reshuffle should focus on ministers who provide security and basic services -- two areas where the government, like its predecessors, has struggled. Another senior Shi'ite official, from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa party, said Maliki wanted to make changes but faced pressure from other factions to keep specific ministers.
Bahaa al-Araji, an outspoken senior Shi'ite deputy from the United Iraqi Alliance, parliament's largest bloc, said on Sunday that the national unity government was "infiltrated by terrorists," drawing sharp rebukes from Sunni Arab lawmakers. Araji, whose affiliation is to the fiery Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, said a reshuffle should focus on ministers who provide security and basic services -- two areas where the government, like its predecessors, has struggled. Another senior Shi'ite official, from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa party, said Maliki wanted to make changes but faced pressure from other factions to keep specific ministers.
COMMENT: Considering Araji is a Shia affiliated with al-Sadr, it is of interest that the ministers he is attacking are all Shias affiliated to Shia parties, with the exception of one Sunni and one Kurd. This indicates the widening chasm within the Shia bloc but also shows that as with Shia militias affiliated to Shia parties, certain ministers are not seen to be performing but are protected as they are Shias and Maliki is not strong enough to stand up to current allies whose support he depends on.
Minister of Interior - Jawad Al-Bolany, Shia, Minister of Defense - Abdu Alqadir Al-Ubaydi, Sunni who opposed Saddam, Minister of National Security - Sherwan Al-Waili, Shia and member of the al- Daw’wa Party, Minister of Municipalities - Riadh Ghareeb, Shia and member of the SCIRI, Minister of Electricity - Kareem Waheed, Shia and member of the UIA, Minister of Health - Ali Al-Shimmery, Shia and member of al-Sadr's bloc, Minister of Water Resources - Dr. Lateef Rasheed, Kurdish and member of the PUK, Minister of Education - Khudair Al-Khuzai, Shia. COMMENT ENDS.
