Iraq's President Jalal Talabani has appointed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form a new government. Al-Maliki has 30 days to negotiate potential obstacles as he delegates ministerial portfolios to various Iraqi political factions.
Iraq has been without a new government for a record breaking eight months, following inconclusive result returned during March parliamentary elections. After months of limbo and political wrangles, a deal was finally reached two weeks ago allowing al-Maliki to remain in his post.
His task to divide-up ministries among Iraq's notoriously fractions political parties might prove more difficult than initially thought. The new government is expected to comprise of all the major factions, including the Kurds and Shi'a political parties aligned with Iran. It is also to include Iyad Allawi's Sunni backed al-Iraqiyya coalition bloc, which won more seats than al-Maliki's largely Shi'a National Alliance, but lost out in the negotiations.
Source: BBC News
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