Talabani Holds Meetings On Forming Iraqi Government

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (file photo) (epa) Baghdad, 25 December 2005 -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani today began two days of meetings at the northern resort of Dukkan to discuss the formation of a new government following the 15 December elections.

Kickstarting the meetings, Talabani met with the Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani at a location just north of the city of Sulimaniyah, 350 kilometers north of the capital Baghdad.


Reports say leading members of other political blocs are also expected to attend meetings over the next couple of days.


The results of elections earlier this month are the subject of dispute with some Sunni political forces questioning the preliminary results which put the Shi'ite United Iraqi Alliance in the lead.


On the security front, at least six people were killed in violence across Iraq today.


Meanwhile the Interior Ministry said today that Justice Minister Abd al-Husayn Shandal survived a shooting attack on his car yesterday that killed two people.


(international agencies)

Coalition Images Of The Voting

Coalition Images Of The Voting


The Multinational Force in Iraq on December 15, 2005, released official images of the voting in the legislative elections. To view a slideshow of their photographs, click on the image.

To see RFE/RL's special webpage about the election, click here.