Sadr, secular bloc push for Iraqi PM to quit

Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki has requested President Jalal Talabani to verify the authenticity of signatures from parliamentary members expressing loss of confidence in the government. Maliki said in a press statement on Monday: "The attempt by some parties to exploit the democratic process which we have agreed to protect, in order to achieve particular political objectives, has raised concerns that threaten the cores of the democratic process in the country." He added: "The process of preparing lists of names of members of parliament and obtaining signatures outside parliament, has been accompanied by many illegal and unconstitutional practices, whether through threats, fraud, extortion or other practices that the citizens have been informed about through the media, in addition to what we know through direct contacts." On the other hand, the powerful Shiite cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, and Iraq's main secular bloc have made new demands to unseat Maliki, as a long-running political crisis appeared set to drag on. "We say, complete your (good work) and announce your resignation, for the sake of the people, and for the sake of partners," Sadr said in a statement released late on Sunday. Maliki's "good work,"  as Sadr called it,  appeared to be referring to the premier's opposition to efforts by certain provinces to secure more autonomy from Baghdad. Sadr, the head of the Ahrar parliamentary bloc, an important part of Maliki's coalition government, has previously criticised the premier, calling him a "dictator" hungry for acclaim, and accused him of seeking to postpone or cancel elections. Maysoon al-Damaluji, spokeswoman for the secular Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc which is seeking to convince President Jalal Talibani to initiate a vote of no confidence in Maliki, meanwhile called for members of Maliki's National Alliance to quickly find a replacement for the embattled premier. "It is up to the brothers and sisters in the National Alliance to carry the historic responsibility and to work seriously and quickly to find a replacement within the National Alliance," Damaluji said in an e-mailed statement on Monday. Iraq has been hit by a series of intertwined political crises that began in mid-December, with accusations by Iraqiya that Maliki was concentrating power in his hands, and has escalated into calls to unseat him.