Iraqi election winner closing in on forming new government: Official
A leader in the Sairoon coalition, the winner of Iraq's May 12 parliamentary elections, on Tuesday claimed his bloc is close to reaching an agreement with other parties on the formation of the next Iraqi government.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A leader in the Sairoon coalition, the winner of Iraq's May 12 parliamentary elections, on Tuesday claimed his bloc is close to reaching an agreement with other parties on the formation of the next Iraqi government.
“There is a deal with the al-Hikma, al-Nasr, and most of the members of the al-Wataniya coalitions on the principles and the general direction of the next government,” Raid Jahid Fahmi, head of the Communist faction in Sairoon, was reported as saying by Shafaaq News.
Among those in the discussion, Muqtada al-Sadr’s coalition got 54 seats and therefore placing first in the election, Haider al-Abadi’s al-Nasr coalition took third place with 42 seats, al-Hikma alliance led by Ammar al-Hakim has 19 seats, and Iyad Allawi’s al-Wataniya has 21 seats.
In late May, Sadr said that he had completed the "final touches" of preparations to form an inclusive government that prioritizes a peaceful political process.
Fahmi had also added, regarding deals with Kurdish entities, that they have had “thorough talks with Kurdistan Democratic Party [winner of 25 seats in the national polling],” adding “the next few days could see similar conversations” with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
KDP officials and other Kurdish parties have consistently called upon the Kurdish political parties to unite on the issues that pertain to the rights of its people, especially when it comes to resolving the status of territories disputed by the Federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The article settles the future of the territories through a referendum by the local population, deciding whether their region should become part of the KRG or remain under the administration of the Iraqi government.
In a briefing to the United Nations (UN) Security Council Ján Kubiš, the top UN official in Iraq urged Iraqi leaders to prioritize "inclusive, non-sectarian dialogue, and ensure the swift formation" of a new “truly national” government "that reflects the will of the people of Iraq."
Editing by John J. Catherine