About 13 Iraqis (Islamic Party) members and sympathizers killed today as a warning message to Hashimi after his position of blocking the election law.
(Islamic Party accused Al-Muthana Army Brigade leader Colonel Rahim, who is a relative of Ammar Al-Hakim)
Despite the postpone of the election day from 26-Jan because of the Shiites religious celebration (40 days of the death of Hussein) to 18-Jan. which is also a Shiites Ashura celebration, Hashimi’s veto (remember that Hashmimi must sign the law within 10 days or it (the law) will be back to the parliament again) would spoil Shiites parties election campaign using this religious festivities to increase their election chances (there are threat made by INA today says that the election law is valid even without Hashimi’s signature).
One thing I need to add here:
The current parliament started at 16 March 2006 and officially will end on 15 March 2010, 45 days is the period set by the constitution to start the election process before the end of current parliament term.
Another preventive measure behind the president-Deputy’s decision is that Hashimi feels that Maliki and Talabani are plotting something, and it is very clear with the recent statement released by Talabani in a press conference after his meeting with Maliki:
President Jalal Talabani expressed his “absolute support” for Prime Minister Al-Maliki “to restore Iraq’s sovereignty in dealing with terrorism and advancing democracy”.
A remarkable development in the relationship between the presidency and the prime minister’s office or Dawa Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
Talabani plays a very dangerous game here:
Hashimi, who aims at the Presidential post in the future and needs the Kurds support is already angry. Talabani with his improved relation with Maliki must not upset his second deputy and Maliki’s rival “Adil Abdul Mahdi”, and for sure Talabani [who already lost the 1/3 of Sulaimaniya seats] don’t want to loss his [only] ally Masoud Barzani.