New Iraqi parliament opens

Baghdad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The first session of Iraq's new parliament ended today. The largely symbolic ceremony began with readings from the Qu'ran and came to a close with the swearing-in ceremony for all 275 new members, the first Iraqi lawmakers to be democratically elected in 50 years.

The event was marred however by a mortar attack, which rattled windows but caused no damage or casualties.

Unfazed, Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, a candidate for a ministerial post, was upbeat. In his view, the fact that parliament has convened at all can be counted as a success.

"We are part of history," he said. "This assembly has to succeed in charting the principles of a democratic, united Iraq."

Still, six weeks after the election won by the Shiite alliance and Kurdish coalition, talks to form the new government are still deadlocked.

In principle, a tentative agreement would see Ibrahim al-Jaafari of the Shiite Dawa party become Prime Minister and Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani take the presidency, with a Sunni Arab candidate probably offered the job of parliamentary speaker.

But they have stalled over Kurdish demands to see the strategic oil city of Kirkuk included in the northern autonomous Kurdish region and Kurds deported from the city by Saddam repatriated.

Without a new government, parliament cannot pass laws and the delay is angering many Iraqis, eight million of whom defied suicide bombers and mortar attacks to vote in the January 30 elections. They want urgent action to improve security and restore basic services.

They might not have much more to wait though if Prime Ministerial candidate Ibrahim al-Jaafari had his way. "Within two weeks you will see the birth of a new government," he told reporters.

• iraq
• interim
• government
• elections
• parliament
• shiites
• sunnis
• kurds
• democracy