UPDATED ON:
Saturday, July 19, 2008
16:24 Mecca time, 13:24 GMT
News Middle East
Sunnis rejoin Iraqi cabinet
The Accordance Front quit al-Maliki's cabinet a year ago in a dispute over power-sharing [EPA]

Iraq's main Sunni Arab bloc has rejoined the Shia-led government in a breakthrough for national reconciliation.

Parliament approved six Accordance Front candidates for several vacant cabinet posts on Saturday.

Getting the Accordance Front to return after it quit a year ago over power-sharing has been seen as vital to healing divisions between Shia and Sunni Arabs in the country.

Sunni Arabs have little voice in the current cabinet, which is dominated by Shia and ethnic Kurds.

Four independent candidates will also replace those from the bloc of Muqtada al-Sadr, which has boycotted the government since last year.

Salim al-Jubouri, a member of the front, said after the vote: "Today, parliament voted to accept our candidates ... This means the Accordance Front has officially returned to the government.

"It is a real step forward for political reform."

Al-Jubouri, who is also the bloc's spokesman, said the front's approved candidates would attend the next cabinet meeting.

Political posts

The ministers include Rafie al-Issawi, who was voted in as the Sunni deputy prime minister. He was previously minister of state for foreign affairs between 2005 and 2007.

Sunnis will also take the higher education, culture and communications, foreign affairs, and women's affairs portfolios.

The four independents will take the posts for transport, tourism, provincial affairs and civil society.

The front pulled out of al-Maliki's cabinet in August last year, demanding a greater say in security policies as well as the release of Sunni Arab detainees who make up the bulk of detainees. Most of its cabinet seats were never filled.

A senior US official said: "After some dithering ... [the front] very quickly rallied around the prime minister, post Basra. There's a new and more welcome spirit of unity."

Knock-on effect

The political rapprochement has also been a factor in improved ties between Iraq and Sunni Arab states.

Until recently, Arab capitals maintained only low-level ties with the country partly because they believed the Sunni Arabs were victims of sectarian policies in Iraq.

In March this year, al-Maliki launched a series of crackdowns against Shia militias starting in the southern oil city of Basra. He had previously been accused of ignoring sectarian violence against Sunnis carried out by groups such as the al-Mahdi Army, which swears allegiance to al-Sadr.

Sadrists continue to boycott the government, and the Sunnis would appear to have lost the planning ministry to the Shia after they expelled Ali Babban, the minister who refused to keep last year's boycott and rejoined the cabinet.

 Source: Agencies
 
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Feedback Number of comments : 3
 
marc
United States
21/07/2008
government
why can't they just be Iraqi's? why does it have to be sunni or shia or kurd? people need to get it through their thick skulls that they are a nation now and should start acting like it. also a note for the government officials in the ministry of defence and generals within the iraqi army...stop syphoning money from the iraqi people. it's suppose to go help make the country better and self sufficient not lining your pockets. it's for the people not you.

John L Tinkham
United States
19/07/2008
Iraq
It is the desire of those in the USA whether initially for the invasion of Iraq or not to want nothing more and nothing less than true independence of Iraq. Iraq is beginning to come together with representation of its people in a government apparently committed to withdrawal of all American troops. This is what we all want, why would we want to stay? Our new commitment at home is energy independence in ten years. We can and will accomplish this goal o

Aly Baba
United States
20/07/2008
Iraqi Sunni
What a big deal to have the Sunni back. Iraq is a secular society and religion should NOT be the litmus test.

 
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