Shi’ite volunteers from brigades loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, ride a vehicle as they return home, in Samarra, yesterday. Photo: ReutersShi’ite volunteers from brigades loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, ride a vehicle as they return home, in Samarra, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

Iraq’s Parliament failed yesterday to break a damaging political deadlock which is holding up the formation of new government to tackle an Islamist-led insurgency raging less than 80 kilometres from Baghdad.

After a brief session, parliamentary officials delayed until tomorrow their efforts to reach agreement between the country’s Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish politicians on the posts of prime minister, president and parliamentary speaker.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition is the largest individual list in Parliament, is seeking a third term but faces opposition from Sunnis and Kurds who say he has ruled for the Shi’ite majority at the expense of minority communities. Even rival Shi’ite parties want to unseat Maliki.

The political impasse has been given added urgency by the Islamist-led insurgency which swept through Sunni provinces of northern Iraq last month and was only stemmed within a hundred miles from the capital. The fall of northern Sunni cities has encouraged Maliki’s opponents to try to force his departure.

Insurgents attack town north of Baghdad

The disagreement over Maliki’s future appeared to be blocking progress on the other political posts.

Sunni politicians said the main Sunni bloc put forward Salim al-Jabouri, a moderate Islamist, as their candidate for speaker but accused Maliki of effectively torpedoing their proposal by linking it to their acceptance of his bid for a third term.

“We have presented our candidate for speaker and done what we should do,” said outgoing speaker Osama Nujaifi. “We hold the other blocs responsible for the delay.

“Once we manage to complete the democratic process to form the government, this would help to stop the great destruction happening in Iraq which is jeopardising the country’s unity.”

An arrest warrant on terrorism charges was issued in 2011 against Jabouri, who was serving on Parliament’s human rights committee at the time. He had confronted Maliki over abuses against prisoners in special jails in the fortified Green Zone of central Baghdad where parliament is also located.

With politics in Baghdad paralysed, and Maliki continuing in a caretaker role, the fighting has raged on.

Sunni Islamist insurgents who control large parts of northern Iraq attacked a town north of Baghdad early yesterday, seizing local government buildings, police and witnesses said.

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