BAGHDAD, May 19 (UPI) -- New obstacles appeared Friday further delaying the announcement of the new Iraqi government of Prime Minister-designate Nouri al-Maliki.
Several blocs threatened to pull out from the government, which was supposed to be announced Saturday, unless their demands were fulfilled.
The Sunni Iraqi Consensus Front insisted on keeping the defense portfolio and finding a suitable settlement of differences over the allocation of the foreign ministry.
Lawmaker Khalaf Aryan, of the Sunni bloc, took observers by surprise when he announced the bloc is preparing a memorandum on its stance over the formation of the government which it will submit later today to Maliki.
"We still insist on the defense ministry and we will not accept at all any candidate but ours to that post," he said.
As for the foreign ministry, Aryan said "we want an Arab to be appointed in that post or at least have the powers of the newly-introduced state ministry for foreign affairs increased."
For its part, the National Iraqi Bloc led by Ayad Allawi threatened to withdraw from the government if it is not properly represented. The bloc has 25 seats in the 275-member parliament.
Also the National Dialogue Bloc led by Saleh Motlaq reiterated that its participation in the government was linked to the cancellation of the law that outlaws the Baath Party, reinstitution of the dissolved Iraqi army and differentiation between resistance and terrorism.
Under the new Iraqi constitution the prime minister-designate has one month to form his government, a deadline which expires Saturday for Maliki.
