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 Iraqi politicians seek unifying leaderWeekend meeting could be turning point for struggling nationBy Arwa Damon  CNN Correspondent Arwa Damon reflects on Iraq's unsettled political process. Behind the ScenesIn our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences covering the news and analyze the stories behind the events.
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSBAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- It could be viewed as a setback -- all the way to square one -- but it just might be the setback that moves Iraq to actually form a unity government. The sticking point is the prime minister's job. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shia, holds it now, with the title of interim prime minister. Al-Jaafari's original nomination -- by a single vote and largely because of the backing of radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's party -- had sent Iraq's political process spiraling into deadlock. Iraq's Sunni, Kurdish, and secular Shia parties refused to back him for the permanent prime ministerial post, but he refused, until now, to step down. On Thursday, al-Jaafari gave in, telling his backers in the United Iraqi Alliance that he was willing to accept any political role the Alliance offered him. The Alliance controls 128 of the Iraqi Parliament's 275 seats and is that body's largest bloc. With today's announcement, al-Jaafari has opened the way for the Alliance to choose a new candidate, perhaps someone who will be able to unify all of Iraq's parties. And that is the challenge. Should they renominate al-Jaafari the deadlock will likely continue. And should they put forward a new candidate, the question is: Will it be someone that all parties can stand behind, someone that all Iraqi people can have faith in? At the governor's compound in Ramadi, an engineer (who asked to remain anonymous due to security concerns) had a message for Iraqi politicians. "I just ask them to remember what we risked when we went to the polls in December. I beg of them to realize what most of us are living through. We need them to start making decisions and the right ones." And the risks continue. Just two days before, the governor's compound had come under heavy attack, a fairly normal situation for those parts, but one that is taking a toll. For example, the number of employees at the compound who actually show up to work each day is down to 30 from 200. After meeting briefly on Thursday and then announcing yet another delay, Iraqi leaders promised that when they again meet on Saturday they will have a list of who will be Iraq's president, prime minister and parliament speaker. They promised that they will put their differences aside and would finally form a unity government. It's a promise that will ring hollow to many Iraqis living with violence every day while their politicians continue to debate, four months after election results were announced. But should Iraq's politicians form a genuine unity government, it could propel the country forward on a course toward stability. 
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