Ending sectarian violence that continues to course through Iraq will be the new government's most daunting task, writes Omayma Abdel-Latif Hours after Jawad Al-Maliki was declared Iraq's newly appointed prime minister breaking four months of deadlock over the post, he described the mission ahead of him as "a very difficult one". In a press conference held soon after the parliament renamed Jalal Talabani as president for another four years and Mahmoud Mashahdani as parliament speaker, Maliki summed up his mission in few words: "building up a new Iraq based on freedom, equality and plurality for all." Indeed, the task of achieving those big words will be put to test during the formation of the new Iraqi government. It is likely to prove the first hard test for Maliki's ability to perform as a statesman in light of the strife over posts that has been raging among Iraq's political blocs as well as the sectarian violence that continues to grip the country. Although little is known about the 50- year-old Maliki, he made a career out of opposing the regime of Saddam Hussein, joining the ranks of Al-Daawa Party at an early age. One of the little known facts about Maliki is that he has been a staunch opponent of the war and the US invasion of Iraq. Lebanese journalist Khalil Harb recalls how, in interview, Maliki warned against "US hegemony" over the political process in Iraq. "His advice to Iraqi politicians was not to fight over ruling an Iraq that is full of widows, orphans and burdened by heavy debts," Harb wrote in the Lebanese daily As-Safir Tuesday. Maliki is faced with the colossal task of saving an Iraq that has been shattered by occupation, lawlessness and sectarian violence by forming a national unity government that represents the diverse political groupings existing in today's Iraq. Some Iraqi observers argued that coming from the ranks of Al-Daawa, Maliki was less likely to embark on a path of radical change, yet many Iraqi politicians showed a willingness to throw their weight behind his appointment. After all, Maliki is no stranger to the post- occupation political process. He was deputy chairman of the De- Baathification Committee, a committee formed to purge Baathists from state apparatuses. He was also known to be a tough negotiator for the Iraqi constitution. Maliki spent many of his years in exile in Syria. While Maliki was conducting consultations with Iraqi politicians to choose his cabinet members, escalating violence during the week underlined some of the most difficult challenges facing him and his future cabinet. The week has been marred by a wave of bombings hitting the Iraqi capital. On Sunday, mortar attacks targeted both the interior and health ministries. On Monday, six car bombs exploded in the Iraqi capital killing eight and wounding at least 80. Two car bombs near Baghdad's Mustansiriya University killed at least five and wounded 25 others. Another bomb near the Ministry of Health killed three and wounded 25, according to police. Four other bombs across Baghdad wounded at least 27. The bodies of 17 Iraqis were discovered Monday. Iraqi police said the killing is the result of sectarian violence claiming Iraqi lives more and more. The wave of escalating violence prompted the new Iraqi prime minister to quickly address the issue of security and the militias responsible for the violence. "Weapons," he said during a press conference, "should be only in the hands of the government." Maliki pointed out that law required militias to be integrated into the nation's security forces. Maliki's mission will be difficult because of the clout the militias have wielded during these last years. Many Iraqis hold the militias responsible for the wave of violence that has hit the country and left hundreds of Iraqis killed and forced at least 65,000 people to flee their homes. It was in June 2004 that former prime minister Iyad Allawi proposed a law to disband militias and integrate them into the security forces. The proposal failed because of strong opposition from both Kurdish and Shia leaders. Although Maliki did not elaborate much as to how "integration" will take place, his statement triggered angry responses. Talabani rejected calls to integrate the Kurdish militia commonly known as the peshmerga within the army. Following a meeting with US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Massoud Barzani, Talabani said the Kurdish peshmerga are not to be considered "militia"; that they are more of a regular army. "The peshmerga... have struggled for many years to liberate Iraq and Kurdistan," he told a press conference Monday. Khalilzad, on the other hand, did not back Talabani, saying that the US considers all militia a difficult challenge to the work of the Iraqi government. Soon after his appointment Maliki seemed to be walking a minefield having to formulate a government many hope will cement national unity and not one based on sectarian quotas. Negotiations with the different Iraqi blocs in the National Assembly continue in earnest amid the backdrop of what Iraq's Az-Zaman newspaper dubbed the "war of leaks" that Iraqi blocs launched against one another. According to the Iraqi constitution, if a given bloc has 10 seats in the assembly it is entitled to be represented in the government by one portfolio. News of the breakthrough concerning the post of prime minister was hailed in different parts of the world. US President George Bush described the formation of the new Iraqi government as "an important milestone towards our victory in Iraq". Many Iraqis beg to differ. Iraqi observers were critical of the way the three main posts have been selected. An editorial in Az-Zaman said the formula has been institutionalised and that it was carbon copy of the dissolved Interim Governing Council. "The way the three posts of president, prime minister and assembly speaker was selected clearly adopted the formula of sectarian quota; that the three figures have been selected due to their sectarian affiliations and not because of any national project they have." One of the challenges facing Maliki is his selection of ministers. His ability to select a national unity government will be put to test during the coming days. The most sensitive task will be choosing the security portfolio ministers, namely ministers of defence and the interior. Many Iraqi Sunnis argued that the Interior Ministry under outgoing Minister Baqir Solagh adopted sectarian policies and encouraged the formation of militias that target Sunnis. A Sunni has directed the Defence Ministry. The Iraqi Accord Front (IAF), the main Sunni bloc, wants more. According to Hussein Al-Falluji, an IAF member, the front will seek to control either the defence or interior ministries. "If we go by the number of seats in parliament, then the front should have acquired seven ministries and a minister without a portfolio," Al-Falluji said, adding that the front was also hoping to secure the Foreign Ministry that until now has been the exclusive preserve of Kurds. Maliki has one month to form the government and have his ministers approved by the assembly.
