Iraq Power-Sharing Deal Frays as Maliki Named PM-Elect

[Valin]

Asharq Al-Awsat/AFP:

11/12/10

BAGHDAD (AFP) – A power-sharing pact that saw Nuri al-Maliki named as prime minister-elect was looking frayed Friday after parliament ended in disarray over claims the deal was broken just hours after being sealed.

The dispute sparked a dramatic walk-out by a group of 60 MPs from a Sunni-backed bloc, underscoring the fragility of the agreement, which seeks to finally end Iraq's political impasse eight months after elections.

As part of the deal, brokered during three days of intense talks, President Jalal Talabani, re-elected by MPs, named Maliki as the country's prime minister on Thursday evening.

(Snip)

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