Iraq's president to convene parliament on March 19

Baghdad, Mar 10: Iraq's President today (Mar 10, 2006) invited Parliament to convene on March 19, a day after the powerful Shi'ite Alliance asked for more time to negotiate a national unity Government.

''The Presidency council decided to call on the parliament to convene on Sunday morning of March 19,'' said the statement from the Presidential office.

Iraq's political leaders are deadlocked over who should be prime minister in the new government. Sunnis and Kurds are opposed to Shi'ite Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari staying on in the powerful post.

The Shi'ite Alliance, which has close to a majority in the parliament elected in December, said it was determined to resist the efforts to oust Jaafari.

Sunni and Kurdish parties accuse Jaafari of failing to improve security or prosperity in the year he has been interim prime minister.

Jaafari, leader of the Dawa party, won the nomination to lead the new government in an internal ballot of Alliance legislators.

Jawad al-Maliki, a senior Shi'ite Alliance member, said Kurds and Sunnis, who are seeking the presidency and post of speaker of parliament, needed the support of the Shi'ite Alliance for their candidates, a reminder that the parties may need to compromise in order to get what they want.

REUTERS