Political developments in Iraq

Concerning efforts exerted to form the new Iraqi government, the "Iraqi list" led by the former prime minister Eyad Allawi set a precondition as to get four ministries including one senior ministry in order to take part in the government which will be formed by the designated prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

Rasem al-Awadi, the leading figure in the national reconciliation movement and chairman of the negotiators in the Iraqi list, explained that his list settled this matter towards taking part in the government, but set a precondition for that to get four ministries, one is a superior one, one economic and two other working for services as a base to take part in this government.

The new Iraqi president Jalal al-Talibani expressed his hope that the designated prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari will be able to form the new government within one week.

In the course of other political efforts, Ghazi Ojeil al-Yawer, the Iraqi vice president, met in Najaf on Monday with the Shiite clergy Ayatullah Ali al-Seistani. On Sunday, Elyawer met with the secretary general of the Muslim Scholars Commission, Harith al-Dari, at the headquarters of the commission in Um al-Qurra mosque.

In Kurdistan area, the Kurdish parliament has not decided on the formation of a new Kurdish government after Jalal al-Talibani was elected for the post of the President of Iraq. Kurdish officials said that the distribution of ministerial posts in the district's government is linked to the formation of the central government in Baghdad.