Maliki facing internal pressure on gov't

BAGHDAD, April 7 (UPI) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is called on to reduce the number of members in his Cabinet, a Shiite lawmaker said Thursday.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern to the U.N. Security Council that Iraq hasn't filled all of the positions in its new government.

"Unless there is quick and concerted action by the government of Iraq to address these concerns, the political and security gains that Iraq has made in recent years could be undermined," Ban warned.

Maliki secured a second term as prime minister late last year following a lengthy political battle that followed March parliamentary elections. Several key positions, including those in the top security ministries, remain unfilled.

Khalid al-Assady, a lawmaker with the Shiite-led Iraqi National Alliance, said Maliki needs to cut the number of members in his administration.

"The Cabinet is unnecessarily large (in) size, and includes incompetent elements who are unable to achieve their mission ...," he was quoted by the Voices of Iraq news agency as saying.

Several Sunni and Shiite lawmakers said they were moving to the opposition amid growing frustration with Maliki and Kurdish officials this week said the government is on the verge of collapse.