Al-Iraqiya Coalition presents new candidates for defense minister’s post

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has presented new candidates for the post of Iraq ’s new defense minister, a legislature for the State of Law said on Tuesday.   “The most outstanding results of our meeting with al-Iraqiya Coalition’s representatives on Monday had been the formation of a committee to follow up the initiative of Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani,” Habib told IraqiNews.com, adding that “al-Iraqiya Coalition had presented new candidates for the defense minister’s post, former Iraqi Army Officers, Nouri al-Duleimy and Abdul-Majid Abdul-Latif.”   Habib said “there had been no final agreement on any of the two candidates, but if the Questioning & Justice Commission would pass their names, we shall present them to the Prime Minister.”   Differences have taken place since more than four months about the candidates for the security cabinet posts that are still vacant, especially the interior and defense ministers posts, with the first being the share of the National Coalition, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the second of al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by Iyad Allawi, with each side rejecting the candidate of the other.   SKH (IT)