Word: tawafiq
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Dates: during 2007-2007
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...move by the Sunni bloc, known in Arabic as Tawafiq, leaves 12 empty seats in Maliki's cabinet, which is supposed to have 37 members. Six ministers tendered their resignation last week after Maliki failed to take any visible steps to address the faction's longstanding concerns, which revolve mainly around the fate of Sunni detainees held by the government and a lack of services in Sunni areas of the country. In the spring, six other ministers loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr abandoned Maliki's government in protest over the Prime Minister's refusal to take a stronger stance against...
...even with the vacancies. So long as Maliki retains the backing of the Kurdish alliance and one of the main Shi'ite blocs, his government has enough supporters to fend off a vote of no-confidence in parliament. And while efforts are under way at the moment to bring Tawafiq back into the fold, Maliki has other alternatives...
...political stage in Iraq now hold as much sway as Sittar, who has made no secret of his desire to take on a larger leadership role in the country. A formal political alliance between Sittar and Maliki would leave little room in the political sphere for Sunnis affiliated with Tawafiq, which is thought to have ties to elements of the Sunni insurgency Sittar and his followers have foresworn...
...Maliki appears resigned to reconciling with Tawafiq, striking a conciliatory tone in his most recent public statements while Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, held talks with the Prime Minister and Sunni leaders aimed at finding compromises that could allow the old government to reform...
...Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Maliki's advisers appear split on the issue. Some of them appear to be urging Maliki to renew the Tawafiq partnership in an effort to stop already deep sectarian rifts from widening still further. Others close to the Prime Minister seem to think that the Sunni bloc is best let go, since virtually no political compromises ever seemed reachable with them. What Maliki himself is willing to consider will only be revealed if peace talks with Tawafiq falter. "We have a situation evolving right now that might lead to some fairly...