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March 29, 2005

Allawi and al-Yawer storm out of assembly

From the AP:

Shouting from their seats, lawmakers failed to agree on a Speaker during their second-ever National Assembly meeting today, with wrangling over bringing in Sunni Arabs — a step officials hope will quell the Sunni-led insurgency — prolonging already tortuous talks on forming a new government.

The bickering exposed tensions in the newly formed parliament, with outgoing interim Prime Minister Mr Ayad Allawi storming out of the session, followed by interim President Mr Ghazi al-Yawer — who turned down the Speaker’s job. “What are we going to tell the citizens who sacrificed their lives and cast ballots on 30 January,” asked Mr Hussein al-Sadr, a Shi’ite member of Mr Allawi’s coalition.
The short session — mostly held behind closed doors after a nearly three-hour delay — adjourned until this weekend. Mr Al-Sadr said the parliament Speaker would likely be chosen on Sunday, giving Sunni lawmakers time to come up with a candidate. “We saw that things were confused today, so we gave them a last chance,” he added. “We expect the Sunni brothers to nominate their candidate. Otherwise, we will vote on a candidate on Sunday.”

Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni representatives had been trying to come up with a name for the Sunni Arab candidate that legislators promised would be announced during today’s session.

Full coverage from Knight Ridder:

The second meeting of the Iraqi national assembly slipped into shouts and allegations Tuesday just before reporters were removed, the prime minister walked out and the meeting ended abruptly.

At the root of the tension was an ongoing feud between Sunni Muslim politicians and the Shiite Muslim group that swept elections. President Ghazi al-Yawer, a Sunni, refused an offer from Shiite and Kurdish political leaders to be the speaker of the assembly, saying Sunnis were being marginalized in the political process.

Two months after national elections on Jan. 30, the assembly finished the day without performing its first order of business - appointing a speaker.

"I couldn't say that I am happy with the state of the negotiations because we haven't been involved very deeply in those negotiations that have been going on only between the two groups,'' the Shiites and Kurds, said Hashim al Hassani, a Sunni from al-Yawer's political list. They're telling Sunnis "this is what is left for you, and take it or leave it. It is not acceptable."

...The assembly meeting, held in a compound guarded by American soldiers, tanks and helicopters, began about three hours late because of continued bargaining.

Dhari al Fayadh, the moderator, opened the meeting by asking God for guidance, then quickly informed the assembly that there was no speaker candidate.

Al Fayadh opened the floor for comment, and the proceeding devolved into loud arguments.

"The people must be informed about what is happening behind the scenes," shouted Shatha al Musawi, a member of the Shiite alliance. "All the details of the discussions about the obstacles that hinder the democratic process and stop the political process must be made public. If you do not do that, it means that you are concealing the enemies of Iraq."

A representative from the southern town of Basra complained that British troops had raided his home and called for the release of those detained.

As the arguing hit a crescendo, al Fayadh ordered the removal of a TV camera crew from Al-Iraqiyah, a news network that was filming the event live, and Western reporters.

Several assembly members protested, saying that the proceedings should be open to the public.

"If the media will allow me, I have something to say to the members," al Fayadh said. "I swear that no one told me" to make the cameras leave.

Furthering his argument, al Fayadh added, "I am older than you."

A moment later, images on TV screens across the nation switched to a symphony playing the Iraqi national anthem, followed by a montage of interviews extolling the virtues of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite who'll have to step down after a new prime minister is formally named.

Arguing could be heard from outside the conference room where the assembly was meeting. Allawi left minutes later, then al-Yawer. The assembly adjourned.

Iraqi officials said they hoped to reconvene on Sunday.

If the Kurds are supposedly so pro-American, and in step with the Bush administration, then why does it still seem that their goal is a separate Republic of Kurdistan? Apparently everything is just peachy, as President Bush explained this morning:

"The free people of Iraq are now doing what Saddam Hussein never could - making Iraq a positive example for the entire Middle East."

Some might beg to differ:

The bickering and continued isolation of the Sunnis will lead to more widespread violence, warned Nabil Mohammed, a political science professor and analyst at Baghdad University.

"It is hard to build a new country and a government on the basis of the ethnic and nationality differences," he said. "Doing so is going to divide the country."

Abdul Jabar Ahmed, another analyst at Baghdad University, agreed.

"When ordinary Iraqis see the elite fighting on TV, it makes them want to follow their leaders' example - to fight, to go to civil war," he said.

Out of mounting concerns about a Sunni backlash and increasing violence between Sunnis and Shiites, the alliance and Kurds had wanted a Sunni to take the assembly's visible speaker spot. But al-Yawer's refusal was firm, and he demanded that he be given at least a vice president's slot.

Posted by Mike at March 29, 2005 06:50 PM

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