AP: Sunni Speaker's Party Urges Him to Quit

[Eugene]

Sunni Speaker's Party Urges Him to Quit

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN
The Associated Press
Tuesday, August 15, 2006; 6:21 AM

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The head of the main Sunni bloc in parliament called
Tuesday for the Sunni speaker of parliament to step down to help the
stability of the unity government after Shiite and Kurdish parties
insisted on his removal.

Adnan al-Dulaimi, head of the Iraqi Accordance Front, said he has not
heard from speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani in several days and did not know
if he planned to step aside. Al-Mashhadani, a member of the bloc, was
quoted Tuesday by The New York Times as saying he was considering
resigning.

-snip-

The Iraqi Accordance Front, which holds 44 seats in the 275-member Parliament,
has been under pressure from the dominant Shiite and Kurdish parties to oust
al-Mashhadani because of his intemperate remarks on the Sunni insurgency
and regional self-rule.

-snip-

Since taking office in May, al-Mashhadani has spoken out against regional
self-rule, strongly supported by Shiites and Kurds but opposed by many Sunni
Arabs.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/15/AR2006081500125.html