Jawad al-Maliki (file photo) (epa)
April 25, 2006 -- Iraq's prime minister-designate, Jawad al-Maliki, said today that he hopes to have his cabinet line-up ready for approval by parliament within the next 15 days.
Al-Maliki would replace Prime Minister Ibrahim Ja'fari, who agreed to step down to end four months of deadlock over the formation of a new government.
Al-Maliki said agreements reached during negotiations over his own candidacy would also apply to posts in a future cabinet and would speed up its formation.
Al-Maliki has been under heavy U.S. pressure to form a government quickly in order to curb the increase in sectarian and insurgent violence.
(AFP, dpa)
RFE/RL Iraq Report
RFE/RL Iraq Report