Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appointed to a second term
Iraq’s parliament has appointed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to a second term in office, ending a deadlock that paralyzed the country for nine months. Back in March, ballot-box results showed the coalition led by al-Maliki, a Shia, trailing the Sunni-backed bloc of Ayad Allawi , a former interim leader, by a handful of votes. The new government led by al-Maliki includes all the major factions in Iraq’s political landscape, but the arrangement already shows signs that the political infighting isn’t over. Members of parliament, in fact, could not agree on candidates for the ministries of interior, defence and national security, which analysts say are key to promoting sectarian agendas within the country.