Iraqiya conditioned transferring Hashimi’s case before ending boycott – Kurdish MP

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: Kurdish Bloc MP Ashwaq al-Jaf said that “the Iraqi bloc conditioned moving vice-president Tariq al-Hashimi’s case to Kirkuk to end its boycott of both the parliament and cabinet”. The statement was reported by the Kurdish Democratic Party news agency. The Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on 19 December last issuing an arrest warrant against Hashimi for “acts of terrorism” and broadcasted the confessions of three of his bodyguards against him, for assassination attempts and bombs in 2009. Al-Iraqiya Bloc negated these charges, as did Hashimi. MP Jaf added that “agreement was reached to form a 6-man committee, two from Iraqiya bloc, two of the National Alliance and two Kurdish members”. She added that this committee will prepare for convening the national conference, which should be held in the coming few days. The Iraqi political scene witnessed political and security tensions, due to demands of some provinces to be transformed into administrative and economic regions, including Salahuddin, Diala and Anbar provinces, in protest against “negligence”, amid expectation to have more calls for new regions due to the conflict between the main two political blocs, State of Law headed by Premier Nouri al-Maliki and Iraqiya bloc, headed by Iyad Alawi. Alawi suspended the work of his bloc at the parliament and the cabinet in protest for the way premier Maliki “is ruling the country unilaterally”. RM (TR)/SR 2376