Iraqi assembly hits snag on leadership roles

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Negotiators met late into the night Monday, but chances appeared remote that they would agree on a new Iraqi government or a speaker for the National Assembly in time for today’s second assembly meeting.

Long-standing plans to introduce outgoing interim President Ghazi Ajil Yawer as speaker of the National Assembly appeared to hit a snag. Yawer, a prominent Iraqi Sunni Arab tribal leader, told several Arabic satellite TV channels that he intends to refuse the position. He gave no reason for his decision.

The naming of Yawer as speaker had been regarded by many as a done deal and had been expected to top the agenda for the one-day assembly session. But Sadik Musawi, an official of the Constitutional Monarchy Party, said Yawer is determined to refuse a demotion from the presidency and said efforts to persuade him Monday had failed.

Jawad Maliki, a senior official with the Islamic Dawa party, one of two main partners in the dominant United Iraqi Alliance slate, said Yawer had changed his mind after accepting the speaker post.

Negotiators had hoped to have the entire government, including Cabinet ministers, ready for approval by the first assembly meeting March 16. But continued haggling rendered that occasion purely ceremonial.

The assembly has booked the Baghdad Convention Center for only one day for its second session, and a long weekend begins Thursday because of a Shiite Muslim holy day. So, the alliance’s all-Shiite leadership likely will declare a break in negotiations.

Meanwhile, insurgent attacks killed at least 11 people Monday, including seven in a car-bomb attack against Shiite pilgrims walking to the southern holy city of Najaf. A second attack on the same road that apparently used a bicycle strapped with explosives killed two police officers. In Baghdad, a police colonel and his driver were killed in an ambush on their way to work.