Wednesday 05 April 2006

An Iraqi vice president has called for the prime minister to step aside so a new government can be formed, becoming the most senior Shia official publicly to endorse demands for a leadership change to halt the slide toward civil war

Adil Abdul-Mahdi told the BBC on Tuesday that he met with Ibrahim al-Jaafari on Monday and urged him to give up the nomination for a second term because he had lost the confidence of the Sunnis and Kurds.

But Abdul-Mahdi said al-Jaafari refused, insisting he wanted to take his case to parliament, which must approve the new prime minister and his cabinet by a majority vote.

Asked whether al-Jaafari should withdraw his nomination, Abdul-Mahdi said: "Yes, after such a time of naming him, not getting approval from others now in UIA (the dominant Shia political bloc), there is some rejection so I think he should step aside."

Abdul-Mahdi lost the prime minister nomination to al-Jaafari in February by a single vote at a caucus of the Shia bloc, which won the most seats in parliamentary elections last December.

Al-Jaafari squeaked through largely because he had the support of the powerful anti-American Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr.

Shia demand

On Tuesday, about 2,500 people marched in support of al-Jaafari in Baghdad's Sadr City district, carrying banners saying "Down with the Conspiracy" against their candidate.

Shia officials have been meeting for several days with Sunni and Kurdish leaders urging them to soften their opposition to al-Jaafari.

"I think tomorrow, or the day after things will ease up," said Shia politician Khudayer al-Khuzai, who backs the prime minister.

"They were understanding the grave repercussions of changing. If al-Jaafari is changed, then the (Shia) alliance will split. We cannot abandon him because he was democratically elected."

AP