Senior members of Iraq’s ruling Shia Alliance bloc called publicly for the first time on Saturday for Ibrahim Al Jaafari to step down as prime minister to break months of deadlock over a national unity government.
“I call on Jaafari to take a courageous step and set a fine example by stepping down,” Kasim Daoud, a senior member of the independent group within the Alliance, told Reuters.
Other senior Alliance officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed that four of seven main groups within the bloc wanted Jaafari to give up the nomination for a second term if, as is all but certain, he fails to persuade minority Sunni and Kurdish parties to drop their refusal to serve in a cabinet under him.
“There is a broad trend inside the Alliance who want Jaafari to do this (step aside) and we expect him to do so,” Daoud said. “Daoud’s call is supported by at least 60 per cent of Alliance members of parliament,” another senior Alliance official from another group within the bloc told Reuters. “We have stood behind him for 50 days and today we have reached the conclusion that there should be a prime minister for all Iraqis, not just one group,” he added.
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