Iraqi parliament set to vote on a new government

Shi'ite Iraqi PM ends months of deadlock by pulling together coalition with members from all of the country's political factions.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Iraqi elections 311 (photo credit: Associated Press)
Iraqi elections 311
(photo credit: Associated Press)
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi parliament is set to vote on a new government after months of deadlock following the country's inconclusive March 7 election.
An official with the Sunni-backed Iraqiya coalition, Jaber al-Jaberi, says the parliament will vote Tuesday on a list of 42 ministers and top government posts proposed the day before by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
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The Shi'ite leader ended months of deadlock by pulling together a wobbly coalition including members from all of the country's political factions representing Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds.
But serious challenges remain. Nearly a third of the ministers proposed by Maliki are only to be acting ministers since he and followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr couldn't agree on who should have many of those posts.