Jordan urges forming national unity Iraqi government (Roundup)

Oct 17, 2010, 15:34 GMT

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II conferred Sunday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and urged the formation of a new Iraqi government that leads to reconciliation among various components of the Iraqi people.

'King Abdullah underscored the importance of forming an Iraqi government that reflects aspirations of the Iraqi people and effectively contributes to building up a better future for the country,' a royal court statement said.

The monarch also expressed backing to all steps taken by Iraqi politicians 'to shore up national reconciliation and unity inside Iraq' as well as the country's stability and security.

The Iran-backed Al-Maliki visited Jordan in the course of a regional tour to muster support for the efforts by his State of Law gathering to form a new Iraqi government under his leadership.

In addition to Jordan, he planned to visit Egypt, Turkey and Iran. He earlier this week visited Damascus in a bid to mend fences with Syria, which he earlier accused of supporting terrorist attacks inside Iraq.

Al-Maliki's regional trip comes against the backdrop of a power struggle with other leading Iraqi politicians which has delayed the formation of a new Iraqi government more than seven months after the March 7 parliamentary elections.

Jordan and other Sunni states neighbouring Iraq are inclined to support al-Iraqiya, a broad-based coalition of Sunni and Shitte politicians, which won the largest number of seats in the latest polls, diplomats said.

Al-Iraqiya's leader, Iyad Allawi, also a Shiite, has so far categorically rejected allowing al-Maliki a new term, but offered to support another Shiite politician, Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi of the National Alliance, who is widely believed to enjoy backing from neighbouring Sunni Arab counties.

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