NCSP articles against Constitution – MP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A legislature from the National Alliance, led by Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has described the majority of articles in the proposed National Council of Strategic Policies (NCSP) as “being counter to the Constitution, that cannot be accepted,” proposing to adjust its articles legally and constitutionally.   “Most of the NCSP’s articles are nothing other than a strong constitutional violation, that cannot be accepted as they undermine the Iraqi Constitution. Its articles must be adjusted in a legal and constitutional means,” Ali al-Allaq told IraqiNews.com news agency on Saturday.   “The Parliament can’t act with the details of dialogue that took place in Arbil, but acts according to the general agreements that we agreed upon. These include the NCSP’s draft-law, the details and legislation of which belong to the authorities of the Parliament and bear no relationship to the Arbil dialogues,” he said.  “The Parliament is responsible to the Iraqi people, and such responsibility requires they pass laws and agreements that are in concordance with the Constitution,” he noted.    The Leaders of Iraq’s Political Blocs had agreed in a meeting they held on August 2nd last, at the residence of Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani, on different points, including the presenting of the NCSP’s draft-law to the Parliament for its approval, along with the agreement on presenting new candidates for the Defense and Interior Ministers’ posts.   Iraq had witnessed a series of political crisis since the nationwide elections that took place in March, 2010, in the background of mistrust between the two largest partners in the Parliament and the government, the State of Law, led by Prime Minister Maliki and al-Iraqiya Bloc, led by former Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi.   Al-Iraqiya is demanding the distribution of the Security Cabinet posts between both Coalitions, along with the NCSP’s establishment, warning to withdraw trust from Maliki’s Cabinet and call for early elections, whilst the National Coalition insists that it holds the majority of the Parliament membership, saying that most of the differences had been settled and that the remaining differences can be settled through talks, aimed at bringing close the viewpoints and achieving final solutions.   SKH (TF)/SR 367