Shiites, Kurds agree on government's makeup
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi Shiites and Kurds have agreed in principle on how to form a new government, officials said Thursday, but details of that agreement were not released.
Officials said the Kurdish alliance and the United Iraqi Alliance were in general agreement that UIA member Ibrahim al-Jaafari would become prime minister and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan founder Jalal Talabani would be president.
The Kurds received about 25 percent of the votes cast in Iraq's January 30 election; the United Iraqi Alliance took almost half of the ballots -- not enough for the two-thirds majority required to form the government on its own.
Mowaffakk al-Rubaie, the interim national security adviser and member of the Iraqi National Assembly from the United Iraqi Alliance, said that a draft understanding had been signed and that it called for the Transitional Administrative Law to remain Iraq's governing document until a new constitution has been adopted.
Al-Rubaie said under the deal the parties have agreed to tackle three issues:
To determine the rules and regulations for the prime minister's office and the National Assembly;To announce the names of the executive branch of government; andFor the National Assembly to make implementation of Article 58 of the Transitional Administrative Law, which deals with forced migration under Saddam Hussein's regime, a priority.Article 58 specifically mentions Kirkuk, the northern city the Kurds want back under their control, but defers a final solution on the city until several other steps are taken.
Al-Rubaie said the names of the executive branch could be expected next week and that there would be "no surprises."
The announcement means that the 275-member National Assembly will likely be able to take up its main agenda promptly when it is convened -- by the body's oldest member -- on March 16.
Its first act of business will be to elect a president of the assembly to preside over its deliberations. Then the body will pick the presidency council -- a president and two vice presidents -- if it can come up with the needed two-thirds majority.
The presidency council will present a prime minister to the assembly, and again a two-thirds majority will be required for approval.
