Clinton Urges Iraq to Form New Government Quickly

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Source: Sydney Morning Herald

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday urged Iraqi leaders to resolve rows over the March elections and form a new government quickly, as more winning candidates risked being disqualified.

With a major US troop drawdown set for August hanging in the balance, Clinton amplified concerns among US officials over Iraq's long drawn-out effort to finalize the election results amid factional squabbling.

A judicial panel was set to rule Wednesday on the fate of nine other election-winning candidates who stand to be disqualified in a process that has thrown formation of the government into disarray.

On Monday, the panel eliminated at least one winning candidate and around 50 others who failed to secure parliamentary seats, drawing anger from former premier Iyad Allawi whose secular coalition narrowly won the March 7 vote.

One of those disqualified was a winning candidate from Allawi's Iraqiya bloc, which has alleged that it is being targeted by officials and religious parties who do not want him to obtain power.

Allawi, a Shiite, whose strong backing in Sunni Arab areas led him to defeat incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, also Shiite, 91 seats to 89, according to unofficial results, said Iraqiya would challenge the disqualifications.

Clinton appeared to echo concerns about the process of verifying the election results.

"The United States respects the legal avenues that Iraq has set up for challenges to candidates and to electoral results," the chief US diplomat said in a statement.

"However, for challenges to be credible and legitimate they must also be transparent and must accord with the laws and mechanisms established for the conduct of the elections," she said.

Clinton was careful to say the United States "does not support a particular party or candidate" and instead wants a "long-term partnership" with a stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq, as Washington cuts its troop presence there.

"The United States calls upon Iraq's leaders to set aside their differences, respect the courageous ballots of the Iraqi people, and to form quickly a government, that is inclusive and represents the will of all Iraqis," she said.

more: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/clinton-urges-iraq-to-form-new-government-quickly-20100428-tqbz.html