By Robert F. Worth and Christine Hauser
New York Times
07 April 2005
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 7 - Iraq's new president today named Ibrahim Jaafari, a physician and longtime leader of one of Iraq's major Shiite religious parties, to serve as prime minister.
The selection of Dr. Jaafari by the new Kurdish president, Jalal Talabani, concluded the most important phase in the formation of the new interim government, ending nine weeks of delay that tried the patience of many Iraqis after the January elections. Mr. Talabani, a longtime opponent of Saddam Hussein's, was sworn in earlier today.
Dr. Jaafari said today that he hoped to name his cabinet and appoint heads of all of the roughly 30 ministries within two weeks.
Although Dr. Jaafari, 58, had long been expected to become prime minister, the announcement brought a palpable sense of finality and relief among Iraq's leading political groups, who had spent weeks locked in often-bitter negotiations.
The appointment was also a long-deferred triumph for the Shiites, who represent 60 percent of Iraq's population but were brutally suppressed by Saddam Hussein. The Shiite coalition to which Mr. Jaafari belongs was formed under the auspices of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the world's most revered Shiite cleric, who grew up in Iran and now resides in Najaf, in southern Iraq.
Mr. Jaafari's ascendance underlined the anxieties some Arab leaders have expressed about Iranian influence in the region. During 20 years of exile from Iraq, Dr. Jaafari spent time living in Iran and forged close ties with its leaders, like many members of his Dawa Party.
"This day for me means a new democratic political era in Iraq," Dr. Jaafari said as he spoke to reporters after being named by Mr. Talabani. "It is one of the most important moments in the new democratic process in our country."
Ayad Allawi, the current prime minister, submitted his letter of resignation this morning, said Barhem Salih, a member of the Kurdish alliance that formed a governing coalition with the Shiites. Some assembly members had called on Wednesday for Dr. Allawi's government to be dissolved as soon as Mr. Talabani was sworn in.
But Mr. Salih said Dr. Allawi's government would remain in effect until Dr. Jaafari finishes naming his cabinet. Dr. Allawi is also a member of the new assembly, and while Dr. Jaafari said today that he looks forward to working with the former prime minister, it is far from clear what role he will play in the new government.
Dr. Jaafari said no decisions had been made about his deputies or the heads of the government's ministries.
But an agreement has been reached to name a Sunni Arab as head of the Defense Ministry, a key post, said Jawad al-Maliki, a deputy leader of Dr. Jaafari's Dawa Party. The foreign ministry post will go to Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd who currently holds the position in the interim government.
Sunni Arabs largely stayed away from the polls during the January election, and granting them powerful positions is widely as crucial both in forming a stable government and defeating the insurgency. Sunnis dominated the higher echelons of Saddam Hussein's government, and many joined the insurgency after the army was disbanded in the wake of Mr. Hussein's fall.
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Citation: Robert F. Worth and Christine Hauser, "New Iraqi President Sworn In; Jaafari Is Named Prime Minister," New York Times, 7 April 2005.
Original URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/07/international/middleeast/07cnd-iraq.html?ex=1126929600&en=60a9ce18a189dea4&ei=5070&pagewanted=print&position=
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