Kurdistan Observer

Baghdad, Feb 12: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said today that his Kurdish coalition will not support the next Iraqi government if the political party led by ex-Prime Minister Ayad Allawi is not brought into the cabinet.
"I stressed to the American Ambassador on the necessity of forming a national unity government in which no one will be excluded, especially (Allawi's) Iraqi (national) list," Talabani told reporters after meeting US Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

"The Iraqi list has to take part in the coming government. The Kurdish coalition will not take part in the coming government unless the Iraqi list takes part in it."

Allawi, a secular Shiite who enjoys US support, has been touted for a key Cabinet portfolio, possibly the Interior Minister which controls Iraq's security forces. His bloc won only 25 of Parliament's 275 seats in the December 15 polls.

But leaders of the Shiite coalition that won the largest number of seats in the Parliament and will lead the next government have voiced strong opposition to Allawi claiming a prominent portfolio in the Cabinet.

"There are parties pouting red lines about the participation of the Iraqi list (in the next government), but these red lines are red for us too," Talabani said. "Any rejection of the Iraqi list is a rejection of the Kurdish coalition."

The United Iraqi alliance has 130 seats in Parliament, making it the largest the bloc but it does not have the two-third majority needed to form a government on its own.

Support of the Kurdish coalition, which has 53 seats, is vital for any bloc wanting to form the next government.