Tuesday, June 05, 2007
General amnesty to be considered ahead of national reconciliation project
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - A general amnesty will be considered ahead of the national reconciliation project set up by the Iraqi government, MP Hassan al-Saneed from the Shiite United Iraqi Coalition (UIC), who is also Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's advisor, said on Monday.
"A general amnesty is expected to be announced by the Iraqi government as part of its plans for national reconciliation and in a way that guarantees that pardoned prisoners do not return to crime," al-Saneed told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
According to al-Saneed, the Iraqi government has developed a new strategy that aims to stimulate greater political participation and open dialogue with armed groups that have expressed interest in joining the political process.
The new strategy will also propose a cabinet reshuffle involving ministries that have direct contact with the public and amendments to Baghdad's security plan, and will discuss Iraq's relations with its neighbors, national security and the issue of borders, al-Saneed added.
"A general amnesty is expected to be announced by the Iraqi government as part of its plans for national reconciliation and in a way that guarantees that pardoned prisoners do not return to crime," al-Saneed told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
According to al-Saneed, the Iraqi government has developed a new strategy that aims to stimulate greater political participation and open dialogue with armed groups that have expressed interest in joining the political process.
The new strategy will also propose a cabinet reshuffle involving ministries that have direct contact with the public and amendments to Baghdad's security plan, and will discuss Iraq's relations with its neighbors, national security and the issue of borders, al-Saneed added.
Labels: armed groups, cabinet reshuffle, general amnesty, Hassan al-Saneed, national reconciliation
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Maliki asks parliament to approve new cabinet ministers
Politics
(AP) - Iraq's prime minister asked Parliament Thursday to approve six new Cabinet members to replace a group which resigned last month on the orders of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr ordered his ministers to quit the government over Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's refusal to call for a timetable for U.S. withdrawal. The anti-American cleric went into hiding in Iran last February when the Baghdad security crackdown was launched.
In Parliament, al-Maliki thanked al-Sadr for giving him the "authority to choose the ministers." He told the chamber, which will decide in a vote Sunday, that all six were independent "not because we have something against parties, but we were keen on their being independent because that was one of the conditions put for the selection."
Al-Maliki was upset because there were not enough legislators to approve his choices on the spot, and was instead forced to delay the vote by three days. He admitted that he took a long time in choosing them, but said it was the result of the time needed to review the candidates history. Describing them as technocrats, he said none had any record of corruption.
He also announced a future Cabinet reshuffle, but said he had not yet received any proposals for candidates from the parties that make up his government. "Some blocs want to change their ministers, and some ministers we want to change. It is not a shame to talk about a Cabinet reshuffle because we seek the best" people, al-Maliki told Parliament.
The new six candidates included one woman, Khiloud Sami, who has been proposed for the post of state minister for provincial affairs. Although the religious affiliation of the six were not announced, all had traditionally Shiite names. The six are Sabah Rasoul for Health ministry, Ali al-Bahadli for Agriculture, Amir Abdul-Jabbar for Transportation, Thamir Jafar al-Zubaidi for the Civil Society Ministry, and Zuhair Mohammed Ali Sharba for the Tourism and Antiquity ministry.
In Parliament, al-Maliki thanked al-Sadr for giving him the "authority to choose the ministers." He told the chamber, which will decide in a vote Sunday, that all six were independent "not because we have something against parties, but we were keen on their being independent because that was one of the conditions put for the selection."
Al-Maliki was upset because there were not enough legislators to approve his choices on the spot, and was instead forced to delay the vote by three days. He admitted that he took a long time in choosing them, but said it was the result of the time needed to review the candidates history. Describing them as technocrats, he said none had any record of corruption.
He also announced a future Cabinet reshuffle, but said he had not yet received any proposals for candidates from the parties that make up his government. "Some blocs want to change their ministers, and some ministers we want to change. It is not a shame to talk about a Cabinet reshuffle because we seek the best" people, al-Maliki told Parliament.
The new six candidates included one woman, Khiloud Sami, who has been proposed for the post of state minister for provincial affairs. Although the religious affiliation of the six were not announced, all had traditionally Shiite names. The six are Sabah Rasoul for Health ministry, Ali al-Bahadli for Agriculture, Amir Abdul-Jabbar for Transportation, Thamir Jafar al-Zubaidi for the Civil Society Ministry, and Zuhair Mohammed Ali Sharba for the Tourism and Antiquity ministry.
Labels: cabinet reshuffle, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nouri Al-Maliki
Monday, April 30, 2007
Iraqi newspaper - cabinet reshuffle to be held in 72 hours
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - The Shiite al-Bayyina al-Jadida newspaper wrote in its Sunday issue that the expected cabinet reshuffle in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government is due in the coming 72 hours, while the government-funded al-Sabah newspaper published an exclusive report providing details of the blast that tore through Karbala yesterday, killing and injuring dozens of people. On its front page, al-Bayyina al-Jadida published a headline that read, 'Al-Maliki brushes aside Paul Bremer's garbage and the quota system. Independents and al-Sadr's followers alike support one united Iraq.'
The newspaper said that indications reveal that the expected Iraqi cabinet reshuffle will take place in the coming 72 hours. Quoting those whom it called political analysts, the newspaper said that the decision made by the Iraqi Independents' Bloc of the Shiite United Iraqi Coalition (UIC) to withdraw from the government last Friday, following in the footsteps of the Sadrist bloc, would give al-Maliki a chance to nominate technocrats and independents to the new cabinet.
Conducting an opinion poll that covered a number of Iraqi ministries and political centers, the newspaper wrote that al-Maliki has managed to gradually abolish the sectarian quota system, thus being the first Iraqi prime minister to sweep aside Bremer's negative legacy and set up a political stage away from sectarianism, contrary to his predecessors whom the newspaper said had strengthened the quota system.
The newspaper said that indications reveal that the expected Iraqi cabinet reshuffle will take place in the coming 72 hours. Quoting those whom it called political analysts, the newspaper said that the decision made by the Iraqi Independents' Bloc of the Shiite United Iraqi Coalition (UIC) to withdraw from the government last Friday, following in the footsteps of the Sadrist bloc, would give al-Maliki a chance to nominate technocrats and independents to the new cabinet.
Conducting an opinion poll that covered a number of Iraqi ministries and political centers, the newspaper wrote that al-Maliki has managed to gradually abolish the sectarian quota system, thus being the first Iraqi prime minister to sweep aside Bremer's negative legacy and set up a political stage away from sectarianism, contrary to his predecessors whom the newspaper said had strengthened the quota system.
Labels: al-Bayyina al-Jadida, cabinet reshuffle, Nouri Al-Maliki
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
TV director down for Minister of Culture post
Politics
(VOI) - Prominent TV Director Faisal al-Yassri is the most probable candidate for assuming the post of culture minister in the upcoming reshuffle as he does not belong to any political party or movement, a senior official in Iraq's cabinet said on Monday. "There are other candidates for the post of culture minister from Iraqi parties," the source, who asked not to be named, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), declining to mention names of these candidates.
"Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki insists that the reshuffle will be based on independent persons seperated from the sectarian and political quota system," the source added, "according to these criteria, the most probable candidate for the post of culture minister is the Iraqi TV director Faisal al-Yasseri, as he did not belong to any political trend or party," he also said. Al-Yasseri is a famous TV director working for cinema and television works. He left Iraq during former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's regime. The man also owns and runs al-Diyar satellite channel, which started broadcasting in 2004.
Labels: al-Diyar, cabinet reshuffle, Faisal al-Yassri, Minister of Culture
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Al-Maliki delays cabinet reshuffle as Fadela declares support for Kirkuk to pass to the Kurds
Politics
(Al Sabaah) - Adviser to Prime Minister al-Maliki, Mariem Raees, said the cause of al-Maliki's delay in declaring a cabinet reshuffle was because parliament blocs have suggested inefficient candidates. Raess stressed that the security ministries have been excluded from the reshuffle due to the Baghdad security plan.
Meanwhile, the Patriotic Union Kurdistan (PUK) issued a statement that a delegation of the Islamic Fadhila Party have expressed their support to execute article 140 of the Iraqi constitution to hand Kirkuk over to Kurdistan.
Labels: Article 140, cabinet reshuffle, Fadhela party, Kirkuk, PUK
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Halabja victims' families to get $784 recompensation
Kurdistan, Politics
(Al-Iraqiyah) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki addressed a range of issues at a March 16 press briefing at Baghdad International Airport after an attempted trip to Kurdistan, Al-Iraqiyah television reported. His plane was unable to land in Al-Sulaymaniyah due to bad weather. Al-Maliki said he intended to give a grant of about 1 million dinars (about $784) to each Iraqi family who lost a loved one in the Halabjah massacre in 1988.
The town will also get its share of reconstruction funds in the future, he said. Al-Maliki also said that the western, largely Sunni Al-Anbar Governorate, which he visited last week, is no longer a safe haven for terrorism. "Thanks to the courage of the people of Al-Anbar, the tribes and politicians...the security situation there stabilized," al-Maliki said.
Prime Minister al-Maliki told reporters on March 16 that talks are ongoing among political parties to reshuffle the cabinet. "Names are proposed and deliberations are continuing. When we talk about change, we seek to look for the best that can provide the desired and required service in this or that ministry. That is why we are a bit late. Time drags on because we are looking for the best," he said. "When we get the names of the ministers nominated by their lists and blocs, we will immediately go to parliament."
Labels: Al Anbar, al-Maliki, cabinet reshuffle, Halabja, Kurdistan, recompensation
Monday, March 05, 2007
Cabinet reshuffle could threaten al-Sadr's position
Politics
(Daily Telegraph) A political crisis that could topple the Iraqi government loomed last night as prime minister Nouri al-Maliki said he was preparing a cabinet reshuffle that could place him at loggerheads with a key Shia parliamentary bloc. Promising a reshuffle "within the next fortnight", Mr Maliki presented it as a way of improving government efficiency. But he is coming under intense pressure from the United States to ditch the six government ministers loyal to Moqtada al Sadr, the fiercely anti-American Shia cleric, and create a moderate coalition government bringing together non-violent parties from across Iraq's ethnic divide.
The so-called Mahdi Army Militia, which Sadr controls, is blamed by Washington for stoking sectarian violence around Baghdad and, in the opinion of US diplomats, its leaders should not be part of the government. Yesterday, hundreds of US soldiers entered the Shia stronghold of Sadr City in the first major push into the area since an American-led security sweep began last month around Baghdad. Soldiers conducted house-to-house searches through the densely populated buildings, but met no resistance in a district firmly in the hands of the Mahdi Army, led by Sadr, said Lt Col David Oclander. "The indication that we are getting is a lot of the really bad folks have gone into hiding," he added.
Mr Maliki's political problem is that his coalition only came to power with the backing of Sadr's 30-strong parliamentary group and it is unclear how he would be able to build a new moderate coalition without those key votes. Yesterday Mr Maliki hinted that he would reduce the number of cabinet positions during the reshuffle. Officials later said there were plans to cut the 39 current portfolios to 30.
Al-Sadr also controls 30 of the 275 parliament seats, and his support for al-Maliki has been responsible for the government's reluctance to crack down on the cleric's Mehdi Army militia, blamed for much of the Shiite-Sunni violence of the past year. U.S. officials had been urging al-Maliki to cut his ties to al-Sadr and form a new alliance of mainstream Shiites, moderate Sunnis and Kurds. Al-Maliki had been stalling, presumably at the urging of the powerful Shiite clerical hierarchy that wants to maintain Shiite unity.
The so-called Mahdi Army Militia, which Sadr controls, is blamed by Washington for stoking sectarian violence around Baghdad and, in the opinion of US diplomats, its leaders should not be part of the government. Yesterday, hundreds of US soldiers entered the Shia stronghold of Sadr City in the first major push into the area since an American-led security sweep began last month around Baghdad. Soldiers conducted house-to-house searches through the densely populated buildings, but met no resistance in a district firmly in the hands of the Mahdi Army, led by Sadr, said Lt Col David Oclander. "The indication that we are getting is a lot of the really bad folks have gone into hiding," he added.
Mr Maliki's political problem is that his coalition only came to power with the backing of Sadr's 30-strong parliamentary group and it is unclear how he would be able to build a new moderate coalition without those key votes. Yesterday Mr Maliki hinted that he would reduce the number of cabinet positions during the reshuffle. Officials later said there were plans to cut the 39 current portfolios to 30.
Al-Sadr also controls 30 of the 275 parliament seats, and his support for al-Maliki has been responsible for the government's reluctance to crack down on the cleric's Mehdi Army militia, blamed for much of the Shiite-Sunni violence of the past year. U.S. officials had been urging al-Maliki to cut his ties to al-Sadr and form a new alliance of mainstream Shiites, moderate Sunnis and Kurds. Al-Maliki had been stalling, presumably at the urging of the powerful Shiite clerical hierarchy that wants to maintain Shiite unity.
Labels: al-Maliki, cabinet reshuffle, Moqtada Al-Sadr
