Dawa Party renounces former Iraqi premier

BAGHDAD, June 6 (UPI) -- The Dawa Party of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Friday renounced former Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari for seeking to establish a new political party.

Jaafari announced Saturday he was forming the Reform Party. The party platform includes absolving the sectarian quota system in the Iraqi Parliament.

"An Islah (Reform) Party under my leadership was announced today. The new party will see the participation of a number of figures from all blocs and political parties with the aim of renouncing sectarianism and fighting the militias," he said at a press conference.

A statement released Friday by the Dawa Party said the comments from the former premier are his alone and that the party distanced itself from Jaafari, saying "this … sealed the end of Jaafari's engagement with the party," Voices of Iraq reported.

Meanwhile, Abbas al-Bayyati with the Shiite bloc United Iraqi Alliance said the return of the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front to the Maliki government was imminent.

The Iraqi Accordance Front withdrew from the Maliki government in August over a variety of political differences. It submitted a list of Cabinet officials in May, but withdrew that list over a dispute regarding its candidate for the planning minister.

Bayyati said Maliki and Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, whose Iraqi Islamic Party is part of the Iraqi Accordance Front, "settled matters" regarding the disputed Cabinet seat.