IAF Suspends Gov’t Membership

The IAF, that has five ministers in the government in addition to 44 MPs in the 275 seat parliament, said that it gave Al-Malki one week deadline to approve its demands or it will work for ousting his 14 month old government.

These demands include “Issuing a pardon for those detained for security reasons who faced no specific charge, that the government becomes strongly committed to respecting human rights and dismantling militias”, according to a leader in the IAF, sheikh Khalaf Al-Alian in a press conference attended by IAF leaders Tarek Al Hashemi and Adnan Al Duleimi.

Salim Al Gabouri, the IAF spokesman, has declared earlier that the front will define its attitude towards the Iraqi government and all the political process today, through a package of demands.

For his part, Dr. Alaa Makki, Iraqi leader and MP for the Iraqi Accordance Front, said in a statement to Egypt Press that the IAF’s decision of suspending its membership in the government came after a thorough discussion among all parties of the Accordance Front. The IAF saw it is a suitable reaction under current conditions.

Makki added that several parties inside the government try to sideline and distort the image of the Accordance Front members. Many incidents prove this strong claim.

Makki confirmed that the suspension decision is temporary and the option of withdrawing from the government is still on the table. It is accepted by the IAF leaders and grassroots. We will take this decision at the right time and after it becomes certain that our withdrawal will help us continue our political course.

“If we withdrew from the government, it would be the government that should be blamed because it denied us any real chance to take part in the decision making process” said Makki