Thursday, September 20, 2007
Dawa Party reiterates commitment to UIC
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - The Daawa Party-Iraq has reiterated its commitment to the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC), denying reports that indicate its withdrawal from the bloc. "We continue to support Nouri al-Maliki's government and our main aim is to tackle all pending issues inside the UIC," the leader of the party, Abdul Kareem al-Anzi, said at a press conference held on Wednesday in Baghdad.
He denied reports that indicated its withdrawal from the UIC, but said they will work towards a strong coalition. Al-Anzi said last Sunday that the party may withdraw from the Shiite UIC if efforts to heal the rift within the Shiite alliance fail. The party's MP Abd al-Mousawi said that the Daawa Party had announced its commitment to the unified national government, underlining the importance of the presence of the Fadhila party and the Sadrist bloc in the UIC.
The party holds 13 seats out of the 83-seat UIC. The UIC was composed of several (Shiite) religious and political organizations and parties that entered the first legislative elections in Iraq to be held after foreign troops entered the country and unseated the regime in April 2003. The UIC now has 83 seats, after two members on the Risalyoon list, an offshoot of the Sadrist bloc, quit in solidarity. The step was preceded by the withdrawal of the Islamic Fadhila (Virtue) Party, which had 15 seats in March 2007.
He denied reports that indicated its withdrawal from the UIC, but said they will work towards a strong coalition. Al-Anzi said last Sunday that the party may withdraw from the Shiite UIC if efforts to heal the rift within the Shiite alliance fail. The party's MP Abd al-Mousawi said that the Daawa Party had announced its commitment to the unified national government, underlining the importance of the presence of the Fadhila party and the Sadrist bloc in the UIC.
The party holds 13 seats out of the 83-seat UIC. The UIC was composed of several (Shiite) religious and political organizations and parties that entered the first legislative elections in Iraq to be held after foreign troops entered the country and unseated the regime in April 2003. The UIC now has 83 seats, after two members on the Risalyoon list, an offshoot of the Sadrist bloc, quit in solidarity. The step was preceded by the withdrawal of the Islamic Fadhila (Virtue) Party, which had 15 seats in March 2007.
Labels: Abdul Kareem al-Anzi, Dawa party, Fadhela party, Risalyoon list, Sadrist bloc, Unified Iraqi Coalition
Monday, September 03, 2007
Sunni and Shiite politicians meet at Iraq conference in Helsinki
International, Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - An official source from the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition said on Saturday that officials representing Sunni and Shiite political blocs along with independent figures met in Helsinki in a two-day conference on means to stop sectarian violence throughout the war-torn country.
"The conference that started on Friday in the Finnish capital was attended by many Iraqi figures, including the leading figure of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) and State Minister for National Dialogue Affairs Akram al-Hakim, Head of the National Dialogue Front Saleh al-Mutlak, and the leading figure of the Dawa Party Waleed al-Hilli," the source, who spoke on anonymity condition, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The source added "the participants are expected to discuss during the two-day-conference a number of experiences that might help establishing peace in Iraq, experiments practiced in states like South Africa and North Ireland." Media reports earlier indicated that representatives from the Sunni Accordance Front, the Shiite Sadr movement, SIIC and Dawa party took part in the conference.
A leading figure from the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's movement denied the Sadrists' attendance of the conference. "The Sadr movement is not aware of this conference and no invitation was sent to the movement on attending the conference," Salah al-Obeidi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Adnan al-Dulaimi, Head of the Accordance Front, told VOI "I was not informed of the conference and no invitation was made to us to attend it."
The official from the Unified Iraqi Coalition noted that "the conference was scheduled to be larger in scope but the absence of the good preparation and the short time caused many Shiite and Sunni figures not to attend." "The conference was organized by a Finnish non-governmental organization interested in peace and crises and the Finnish authorities have no connection to the conference," the unnamed official added.
"The conference that started on Friday in the Finnish capital was attended by many Iraqi figures, including the leading figure of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) and State Minister for National Dialogue Affairs Akram al-Hakim, Head of the National Dialogue Front Saleh al-Mutlak, and the leading figure of the Dawa Party Waleed al-Hilli," the source, who spoke on anonymity condition, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The source added "the participants are expected to discuss during the two-day-conference a number of experiences that might help establishing peace in Iraq, experiments practiced in states like South Africa and North Ireland." Media reports earlier indicated that representatives from the Sunni Accordance Front, the Shiite Sadr movement, SIIC and Dawa party took part in the conference.
A leading figure from the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's movement denied the Sadrists' attendance of the conference. "The Sadr movement is not aware of this conference and no invitation was sent to the movement on attending the conference," Salah al-Obeidi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Adnan al-Dulaimi, Head of the Accordance Front, told VOI "I was not informed of the conference and no invitation was made to us to attend it."
The official from the Unified Iraqi Coalition noted that "the conference was scheduled to be larger in scope but the absence of the good preparation and the short time caused many Shiite and Sunni figures not to attend." "The conference was organized by a Finnish non-governmental organization interested in peace and crises and the Finnish authorities have no connection to the conference," the unnamed official added.
Labels: Adnan al-Dulaimi, Akram al-Hakim, Finland, Iraq, Sadrists, Saleh al-Mutlak, SIIC, Unified Iraqi Coalition, Waleed al-Hilli
Friday, August 03, 2007
Concern grows among Iraqi politicians following IAF withdrawal
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraqi politicians demonstrated their concerns about the implications of the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front's (IAF) withdrawal from the government for the future of the Iraqi political process. Stressing the Iraqi political process's need for reform, MP Maisoon al-Damlouji from the Iraqi National Slate told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), "The political process, which is based on a sectarian quota system, is about to fall. We have to handle the situation before reaching the point of no return."
Urging Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to listen to the IAF's demands, al-Damlouji said that constructive dialogue at the current time is necessary for discussing all unresolved issues. "The IAF, the National Slate, the Sadrist movement, al-Fadila Party and the National Dialogue Front (NDF) are equally dissatisfied with the current situation… The Iraqi prime minister must listen to what we are saying before it is too late," al-Damlouji indicated.
The mostly secular Iraqi National Slate, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, holds 24 seats in the Iraqi parliament. Khalaf al-Alian, a leading IAF member, described the current Iraqi political process as a "failure" and indicated that the departure of his front, along with the Sadrist movement, from the government is a clear sign that al-Maliki's government is becoming increasingly unpopular in the Iraqi street. According to al-Alian, al-Maliki has two choices: to form a government of independent technocrats or to step down in favor of a more qualified person.
Meanwhile, MP Ali al-Alaq from the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC), the largest parliamentary bloc with 111 seats, told VOI that the IAF's decision does not necessarily indicate retrogression in the political process, which he is said is "working fine."
Displaying pessimism about the future of the Iraqi political process, Hadi Aliwa, a political analyst, held the Iraqi government and parliamentary blocs responsible for the "failure" to reach political consensus. "Each bloc is working on its own. Several regional and international factors, the most important of which is the U.S. occupation, are affecting the political process," Aliwa explained.
The mostly secular Iraqi National Slate, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, holds 24 seats in the Iraqi parliament. Khalaf al-Alian, a leading IAF member, described the current Iraqi political process as a "failure" and indicated that the departure of his front, along with the Sadrist movement, from the government is a clear sign that al-Maliki's government is becoming increasingly unpopular in the Iraqi street. According to al-Alian, al-Maliki has two choices: to form a government of independent technocrats or to step down in favor of a more qualified person.
Meanwhile, MP Ali al-Alaq from the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC), the largest parliamentary bloc with 111 seats, told VOI that the IAF's decision does not necessarily indicate retrogression in the political process, which he is said is "working fine."
Displaying pessimism about the future of the Iraqi political process, Hadi Aliwa, a political analyst, held the Iraqi government and parliamentary blocs responsible for the "failure" to reach political consensus. "Each bloc is working on its own. Several regional and international factors, the most important of which is the U.S. occupation, are affecting the political process," Aliwa explained.
Labels: Fadhela party, Iraqi Accordance Front, Iraqi National Slate, Maisoon al-Damlouji, National Dialogue Front, Sadrist bloc, Tawafuq Front, Unified Iraqi Coalition
