Iraqi parliamentary blocs agree on naming president, premier nominees

By Ahmed Asmar

BAGHDAD (AA) - The Al-Sadr party of Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday announced an agreement with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance on naming the KDP’s nominee Reber Ahmed for the Iraqi presidency and Mohammad Jaafar al-Sadr of Al-Sadr party for the position of Iraq’s prime minister.

Following a meeting among the three groups, Hassan al-Athari, the head of the Al-Sadr bloc, announced in a news conference the establishment of a new parliamentary bloc -- the Alliance to Save the Country.

A parliamentary session is expected to convene next Saturday to elect the country's president, after which the new president will name a prime minister to form a new government within 15 days.

The alliance consists of al-Sadr’s Sairoon Alliance -- which won 73 seats in the 329-member parliament during the Oct. 10 elections last year -- the Sovereignty Alliance (a coalition of Sunni parliamentary groups with 71 seats in parliament), and the KDP with 31 seats.

Iraq has been unable to form a new government since the Oct. 10 parliamentary elections last year amid differences among political parties.