Via the NYT: Top Shiite Cleric Urges Iraqis to Form Coalition
The most powerful Shiite cleric in Iraq called late Sunday for quick agreement on a new government, expressing displeasure with the weeks of drawn-out haggling, which has begun to stir unrest in the Iraqi public.The cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, appeared to be putting pressure on Kurdish politicians in talks on forming a governing coalition.
Some other interesting tidbits:
Adnan Pachachi, a Sunni Arab who served as foreign minister in the 1950’s, said in an interview on Monday that all parties had agreed that a Sunni Arab should take one of the two vice presidencies and the post of speaker of the assembly. Shiite and Kurdish leaders say the three prominent Sunnis being considered for those jobs are Mr. Pachachi; Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein, the head of the Constitutional Monarchy Party and a member of the Hashemite dynasty; and Sheik Ghazi al-Yawar, the president of the interim government.The Shiites and Kurds also say they want to ensure that Prime Minister Ayad Allawi gets a high position in the government.