Shi’ite Coalition Close to Nominating PM, Maliki Remains Defiant
The deputy speaker of parliament, Haider al-Abadi, said in a tweet that a grouping of Shi’ite parties is close to nominating a new prime minister as pressure has risen on current PM Nouri al-Maliki to step down.
Abadi’s comments came after police sources said special forces and Shi’ite militias personally loyal to Maliki had been deployed in strategic areas of Baghdad after he made a defiant speech on television suggesting he would not cave in to pressure to drop his bid to stay in office following a parliamentary election held in April.
Abadi is seen as a possible successor to Maliki, who has been premier since 2006 but has alienated some allies, including the United States, who blame him for failing to forge consensus and so fuelling sectarian violence that is breaking Iraq apart.
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