Politics: Iraq’s Three Leading Powers call for joint action to build state

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The leaders of the three powers, the presidency, the council of ministers and the parliament, have met in the residence of the Chairman of the Reform Bloc, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, to discuss efforts to develop the government’s activity, overcome the country’s problems and building a modern state. The meeting, held in Jaafari’s residence on Tuesday night, was attended by President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and Parliament Speaker Usama al-Nujeifi. The men discussed the coordination of the efforts of the three powers to develop the activity and the building of the new Iraqi state, based on mutual influence among the three leading powers. In a press conference following the two hour meeting, Jaafari said, “the meeting had discussed the country’s affairs on several levels, particularly concentrating on the building of a modern Iraqi state, on the basis of influence among different authorities, and overcoming obstacles confronting their joint action and protecting the major achievements of the previous phase.” “The meeting’s attendees agreed to act as a united team, acting on a basis of mutual influence among different parties, working for a constitutional Iraq and the settlement of the current problems,” President Talabani noted. “The meeting recorded the beginning of a project that won’t take long and won’t be difficult, as we are moving towards a state that enjoys equality..We have agreed to maintain the constitutional principles, because we have been obliged to march on this course, through our joint work with our other partners in the state administration, for which we have achieved several goals on the correct course of building the state,” Prime Minister Maliki highlighted. “Cooperation between the executive and legislative authorities will help to settle several bottle-necks and problems we are suffering from, particularly those related to the legal and legislative issues, due to their non-settlement by the previous parliament,” Maliki said. Maliki reiterated the necessity of non-repetition of the conflict between the government and the previous parliament, saying, “The experience of the previous parliament was one that was transformed into a competitor, a fighter and a sharp eye watching the executive authority, paralyzing many projects that should have not been frozen.” “The meeting was a necessity to start a real activity among different parties, in order to overcome the previous obstacles and to apply the constitution,” Parliament Speaker Nujeifi noted. The new Parliament “will seriously act to settle the mistakes of the past, whether on the governmental or the parliamentary levels,” Nujeifi continued, calling to “act together with the government in a united step to achieve the common goals for peace and prosperity.” SKH/SR 1