Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Nearly half of maliki's cabinet has quit or is boycotting
Politics
(Al Jazeera) - The unity government of Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, has been plunged deeper into crisis after five ministers withdrew from cabinet meetings, less than a week after the main Sunni Arab bloc quit. Seventeen ministers - nearly half of al-Maliki's cabinet - have now quit or are boycotting meetings, leaving it with no Sunni members.
The boycotting ministers all belong to the political bloc loyal to Iyad Allawi, the former interim prime minister. The group of mostly secular Sunnis and Shia accused al-Maliki of not responding to their demands for political reform. Wijdan Michael, Iraq's human rights minister and one of those staying away, said: "We are still in the government but we are boycotting cabinet meetings."
The withdrawal comes at a time when the prime minister is under growing pressure from frustrated US officials to make demonstrable progress in reconciling Iraq's warring factions.
The boycotting ministers all belong to the political bloc loyal to Iyad Allawi, the former interim prime minister. The group of mostly secular Sunnis and Shia accused al-Maliki of not responding to their demands for political reform. Wijdan Michael, Iraq's human rights minister and one of those staying away, said: "We are still in the government but we are boycotting cabinet meetings."
The withdrawal comes at a time when the prime minister is under growing pressure from frustrated US officials to make demonstrable progress in reconciling Iraq's warring factions.
Labels: Iraq, Iyad Allawi, Nouri Al-Maliki, Wijdan Michael
