Al-Jaafari Clears Way to Be Replaced

Embattled Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari cleared the way Thursday for Shiite leaders to withdraw his nomination for a second term, a step that could break a months-long standoff that is blocking the formation of a new
government. Shiite lawmakers planned to meet Saturday to decide whether to replace al-Jaafari, who faced fierce opposition from Iraq's Kurdish and Sunni Arab parties.

"The alliance is leaning toward changing (the nomination). The majority opinion is in favor of this," said Bassem Sharif, a lawmaker in the seven-party Shiite coalition. The move represents the first sign that al-Jaafari has abandoned his quest to keep the prime minister's post, only a day after he had repeated his steadfast refusal to step down.

The United States had put strong pressure on the Shiites to resolve the standoff quickly so they could form a government able to stabilize Iraq amid increasing sectarian violence. The dramatic announcement was made shortly before a planned session of the Iraqi parliament to try to jump-start formation of a new government. The Shiites asked that the session be postponed until Saturday or Sunday, after they resolve the issue of al-Jaafari's nomination, said Shiite official Ridha Jawad Taqi.

Jawad al-Maliki, spokesman for the prime minister's Dawa party, told reporters that "circumstances and updates had occurred" prompting al-Jaafari to refer the nomination back to the alliance "so that it take the appropriate decision."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060420/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

The other 50% is going to be finding a replacement.

It took this long just to get the man back into the magician's hat. Who knows how long it'll be before a new bunny pops out.

Seems like this just opens it up for more endless wrangling

I wonder what the hell is really going on? Perhaps he wrote this before they met today?

<snip>

Cole: The Shiite fundamentalists are in striking distance of having a simple majority in parliament, and are much more united, despite some frictions, than their opponents. It was always the case that if they maintained their unity, they would be able to impose their will with regard to the incumbents of high political positions. The attempt made by US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and former interim PM Iyad Allawi to marshall the Kurds, Sunni Arabs and secular Shiites against Jaafari appears to have been defeated, by simple steadfastness on the part of the UIA.)

http://www.juancole.com/

Apr 20, 3:09 PM (ET)

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA

(AP) Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari speaks to reporters at a press conference Wednesday April...
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, under intense pressure to give up plans for a second term, agreed Thursday to let Shiite lawmakers reconsider his nomination, a step that could mark a breakthrough in the months-long effort to form a new government.

Key to al-Jaafari's change of heart was pressure from U.N. envoy Ashraf Qazi and his meetings Wednesday with the most powerful Shiite cleric in the country, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and Muqtada al-Sadr, a radical cleric who has backed al-Jaafari, said Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman.

"There was a signal from Najaf," Othman said, referring to al-Sistani's office in the Shiite holy city. "Qazi's meetings with (al-Sistani) and al-Sadr were the chief reason that untied the knot."

Al-Jaafari's turnaround came less than 24 hours after vowing at a televised press conference that he would remain the candidate.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060420/D8H3TP0O2.html