Kurds reject Jaafari for political crisis in Iraq

A political crisis is looming in Iraq after several political sides announced rejection to the nomination of Ibrahim al-Jaafari to form a new government. Jaafari is the the prime minister whose term of office expired.

Sunni and Kurdish officials in Iraq announced their rejection to nominate the Shiite Ibrahim al-Jaafari to lead the next government and justified their position in Jaafari not being neutral nor capable to run the affairs of the country.

The leading Kurdish figure Mahmoud Othman, who is a member of parliament for the Kurdistani Coalition List said that "the Kurds and groups of the Sunni believed that Jaafari is not suitable and can not form a Cabinet in collaboration with him, because he is not neutral."

Othman added that the Kurdish and Sunni list will ask the United Iraqi Coalition list (Shiite) to withdraw its decision on supporting Jaafari for the post of the prime minister.

The chairman of the Iraqi List and former prime minister Eyad Allawi opposed the nomination Jaafari to form the new government.

However, the Shiite coalition considered that the selection of Jaafari is an internal matter and no bloc is permitted to interfere in this decision and asking for changing it. He stressed he will not give up his candidate.